BRITAIN was today waking up to the first day of 2003 after millions of revellers saw in the New Year at parties across the country.

But despite official celebrations in Edinburgh, Cardiff and other British cities, London was criticised for not having any organised events.

As other "world cities" like Sydney and New York celebrated with fireworks displays, the capital's traditional focal point, Trafalgar Square, remained empty, quiet and heavily-guarded.

Hundreds of revellers wandered aimlessly around Nelson's Column in the square, which is currently being pedestrianised, as 2003 approached.

Police, some on horseback, patrolled the area while a perimeter fence ensured it remained a no-go zone.

Two Australian tourists from Sydney who turned up at Trafalgar Square described the British capital's celebrations as "dull" while Britons expressed their disappointment.

One of them, Elizabeth Tarry (16) said: "I thought there would be swarms of people here.

"I expected a very big party with heaps of people everywhere and I expected to go to Trafalgar Square. We had such great hopes of this city but there's absolutely nothing."

Roy Baker (30) travelled from Maidstone in Kent with a friend to witness the celebrations and described what he found as "terrible".

He said: "I'm so disappointed. They made all this effort to board over Parliament Square but they haven't put anything on for people. There's no light show, no music, no nothing."

Mr Baker, who was searched five times by police during his journey from Leicester Square to Whitehall, added: "We've been planning this for over a month and so far it's been a real kick in the teeth.

"We expected something to be going on and in return we got a Do It Yourself celebration."