New Year revellers to turn out in hundreds of thousands as territory lays on mass entertainments

Hundreds of thousands of New Year revellers are expected to turn out tomorrow night to see in 2001.

Police and various event organisers are anticipating crowds of more than 340,000 in Tsim Sha Tsui, 150,000 in Victoria Park - where the only official countdown celebration is planned - and Times Square, between 30,000 and 50,000 in Lan Kwai Fong and 9,000 at EuroChristmas in Wan Chai.

'There will be private-sector events at Times Square and other areas, but the Victoria Park Countdown Carnival is the only official event,' said John Tam, chief information officer for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

Police will be operating special crowd and traffic control measures to prevent hold-ups.

The harbourside promenade and clock tower areas in Tsim Sha Tsui are expected to draw the largest crowds - well in excess of the 340,000 that watched the switching-on of the Christmas lights. Surrounding streets will be pedestrianised progressively from 8.30pm and the Star Ferry bus terminus will be cut off to all traffic from 9pm.

Wan Chai Divisional Commander Yu Mun-sang said: 'In the Causeway Bay area we're expecting 150,000 people. The pedestrian crossing opposite the Sogo department store is expected to be particularly crowded and we urge people to use the Percival Street or Pennington Street footbridges.'