Bad weather in the UK failed to dampen the party spirit in London, where thousands gathered to hear Big Ben ring in the New Year. Celebrations were cancelled in many cities, including Edinburgh’s famous Hogmanay, due to high winds and rain.

No such problems on the Portuguese island of Madeira, where the fireworks went ahead as planned.

The New Year party was celebrated in Madrid despite an earlier bomb attack in a car park at the city’s airport. The clock in the central Puerto del Sol rang in the New Year as usual, despite the heightened tensions.

Scene of many public celebrations, Paris’s Champs Elysees was once again the focus for thousands of partygoers in the French capital who wanted to wave farewell to 2006 and welcome in 2007.

While in Berlin, a million people gathered around the city’s iconic Brandenburg Gate to make sure the party went with a swing.

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