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Tube revels shut Liverpool Street Tube revels shut Liverpool Street
(about 1 hour later)
Liverpool Street station has been shut after it was mobbed by hundreds of revellers commemorating the last night of drinking on the London Underground. Liverpool Street Tube station has been shut for an hour after thousands of revellers descended on it to mark the last night of drinking on the Tube.
Police said the station was closed "for the time being" due to overcrowding. Drinking alcohol will be banned on much of London transport from midnight, and thousands marked the ban by gathering to drink in stations and on the Tube.
Gatherings on various different parts of the Tube network were organised via social networking website Facebook. The station was closed from 2100 to 2200 to ease overcrowding, after about 2,000 people began partying there.
Drinking from - and carrying - open containers of alcohol will be banned on the Tube, London buses, Docklands Light Railway and trams from midnight. Across London, six people were arrested for being drunk and disorderly.
'Booze party' The ban on drinking from - or carrying - open containers of alcohol applies to the Tube, London buses, Docklands Light Railway and trams.
The new policy was announced by London Mayor Boris Johnson shortly after he took office. It was announced by London Mayor Boris Johnson shortly after he took office.
Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT, has warned: "It is pretty irresponsible to organise a booze party on the Tube when alcohol already plays a part in so many incidents." Many people celebrating the last night of legitimate drinking met at Liverpool Street Station's west-bound Circle Line platform at about 2030 BST.
A spokeswoman for Transport for London said it would be monitoring the party, but was confident it would pass off without incident. Others crowded onto Circle Line trains, while police said Baker Street was another hotspot.
British Transport Police said it had an increased number of officers deployed on the Underground for the evening. It's sweaty on there but I'm going round and round until I vomit Peter Moore, from Brighton Londoner Matt Wynn, 43, a banker, said: "I've come along with a bottle of champagne because I want to show that you can drink responsibly on the Tube and not cause trouble.
"It's going to be a bit of a stop-start evening, though, because there are no toilets on the Tube."
Steve Nosworthy, 27, from Australia, said: "I've brought along this big crate of Carling and I'm going to go round and round all night - well, until 12 o'clock, when I'll probably get kicked off."
David Mudkips, 25, a web programmer from Hackney, described the experience on the train as: "Like rush hour but fun. There were people's sweaty armpits in my face but I didn't care because I was drinking."
Peter Moore, 35, a sailor from Brighton, described his night as: "Drunken, I just downed a can of beer in 10 seconds. It's sweaty on there but I'm going round and round until I vomit."
'Half-baked'
Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT union which represents train drivers, previously called the partying "irresponsible".
But he also said the alcohol ban was "half-baked" and could put staff at greater danger of assault.
But Mr Johnson said he was determined to improve the safety and security of public transport in London.
He said the ban had the full support of the Metropolitan Police and British Transport Police.