THE MIDNIGHT HOUR: Huge crowds throng the Minster to see in the New Year

The 21st century got off to a rousing but peaceful start in North and East Yorkshire.

Fireworks lit up the sky, bells rang out and the celebration of a lifetime got into full swing.

But many people stayed away from pubs and clubs, making their own entertainment with parties for family and friends.

Some publicans dropped their plans to charge entry for the big night and many blamed months of hype for a lower than expected turnout.

As midnight approached, the streets of York filled and an estimated 6,000 people gathered at York Minster to watch and wait for the old year to give way to the new.

About 5,000 people watched a fireworks display in Knaresborough, and Selby marketplace was filled by a good-natured crowd as midnight approached.

Police reported a total of 86 arrests across the whole of North Yorkshire between midnight and 5.30 am on New Year's Day, the vast majority for public order offences or fighting.

At Malton police station, a spokesman said officers in Ryedale dealt with nothing more serious than a few public order offences and people who were drunk and disorderly.

Most of the problems occurred in or near the county's pubs and clubs, and - later in the night - in or near the homes of revellers, said a spokesman, adding: "We are feeling that the force's policy of putting large numbers of highly visible officers on the streets has paid dividends.''

Assistant chief constable Peter Walker, who commanded the force's Millennium Eve operation, said: "We have approached this unique night in a positive spirit and I believe the county has responded to that."

Police in West Yorkshire made 180 arrests, while Humberside police said it was a "typical" New Year's Eve with a number of small, drink-related fights and 84 arrests, 15 in East Yorkshire.

CS spray was used by police in one incident at Boothferry Road, Goole, during which a man who had been seen stripped to the waist and brandishing two knives was disarmed by officers.

Fears that the Millennium bug might disrupt essential services and supplies proved unfounded. Yorkshire electricity said that almost three years of planning and testing stopped the bug getting into its major computer systems and wrecking the region's New Year celebrations.

"There have been a number of customers without supplies overnight but these were purely the kind of faults that can occur at any time of the year on any electricity network," said a spokesman. Transco also reported that gas flows were unaffected by the arrival of the new Millennium.

New Year celebrations and a widespread flu bug caused no major problems at York District Hospital, general manager Colin Watts said.

The number of revellers treated in the Accident and Emergency department was similar to a busy Friday night or a normal New Year's Eve.

A high presence of police officers at the hospital site meant no trouble occurred.

Mr Watts said 48 emergency admissions were made on New Year's Eve, with 63 on New Year's Day - about usual.

He said: "We have had a lot of staff off with 'flu, but we had planned for that.

"We had no major problems at all. Everything had been planned for and everything went according to plan."

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