BRITS are gearing up for a VERY different New Year’s Eve as pints are tipped away and revellers face fines for celebrating outdoors.

Strict Covid rules mean there will be none of the usual celebrations to mark the beginning of 2021.

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Streets in Soho, Central London were empty this eveningCredit: w8media

Usually bustling areas in the capital were eerily quietCredit: w8media

Publicans were forced to tip beer down the drain, like this pub owner in Ripley, DerbyshireCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

People have been warned to stay home to stop the spread of CovidCredit: w8media

Pals use sparklers to display the year 2021 on Edinburgh Castle’s esplanade in ScotlandCredit: Duncan McGlynn

Quiet streets on New Year’s Eve night in BournemouthCredit: Bournemouth News

Fireworks displays including London’s annual celebrations, have been cancelled.

Pubs and restaurants are shut across the nation as 20million people went into Tier 4 this morning, meaning no mixing is allowed outside of household or support bubbles.

Streets in Central London are empty this evening, with usually-bustling areas in the capital eerily quiet.

Publicans across the country have been forced to tip kegs full of beer down the drain, as almost all pubs in the UK will be closed tonight.

Cops have warned the public they will be fining people breaking the rules by meeting up with others tonight – starting with £100 and rising to £10,000 for people having parties.

And they will be focusing their patrols in London on areas with the highest rates of Covid infections too, they said.

Despite the strict rules, a string of illegal New Year’s Eve raves are being secretly planned across Tier 4 London.

Kegs of beer have gone to waste as pubs are forced to shutCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

London resembled a ghost town on New Year’s EveCredit: w8media

Cops said they will be patrolling to stop any lockdown partiesCredit: w8media

Thousands of people are expected to attend the events which could send Covid spreading even faster through the capital.

Despite officials insisting there will be no fireworks or light shows to mark the New Year, there is speculation there will be some celebrations.

A test display of lights was seen over Tower Bridge in Central London last night.

Coronavirus cases continue to soar as a mutant strain of the bug sweeps across the UK.

Today, Britain saw its highest ever daily rise in cases with 55,892 infections reported in the past 24 hours.

A further 964 deaths were recorded, bringing the total number of fatalities to 73,512.

The rise in cases means a total of 2,488,780 Brits have now been infected with the bug.

Today’s rise in deaths is only slightly smaller than yesterday’s figure of 981 – the highest daily toll since April – amid fears that the high toll may not be a lag in reporting, as was thought yesterday.