AUTHORITIES in Cumbria have urged people to be cautious this evening, amid fears that many Scottish revellers may descend on Carlisle to celebrate new year.

People living in Scotland have been urged not to travel to England for new year celebrations to get away from the more stringent Covid-19 restrictions.

There is no travel ban currently in place to stop people going to England, where nightclubs are still open.

One of the cities that is expected to be most popular with Scots is Carlisle, due to its position on the border.

But Cumbria County Council and Cumbria Police are urging revellers to be cautious.

A spokesman for Cumbria Police has confirmed that the force will have a 'well-resourced' amount of police out on the streets to help people be safe this New Year's Eve.

They said: "Cumbria Police will be ensuring that key areas of the county - including Carlisle city centre - are well-resourced on New Year's Eve to help keep people safe.

"Whilst there are no restrictions preventing people from travelling to the county from elsewhere, in-line with national public health advice, we would encourage people to remain cautious in making their plans and to seek to take a lateral flow test prior to attending any events."

Cumbria County Council has also urged for caution this New Years Eve and take a lateral flow before they go anywhere to celebrate.

A spokesman said: "Please consider carefully the latest national guidance before making any plans to travel to Cumbria – our priority is to protect our communities and front line services.

"Whilst there are no current restrictions on movement, we urge people to exercise caution to help stop the spread of the Omicron variant.

"It is vital that anybody intending to travel to Cumbria for their New Year celebrations, has taken a Lateral Flow Test. The same applies to anybody travelling from Cumbria to elsewhere outside the county."