Hoards of Christmas revellers pack out pubs and bars in Santa hats and festive jumpers for boozy nights out across UK
HOARDS of Christmas revellers hit the town for a festive booze up last night in Santa hats and elf costumes.
Festive knitwear and sparkles were also in full swing as partygoers went out in force in towns and cities across the UK.
The celebrations - which spread into the early hours of Christmas Eve - came days after Mad Friday, dubbed the booziest night of the year so far.
Leeds and Newcastle saw some of the most hardcore punters flooding pubs, bars and clubs despite the winter chill outside seeing temperatures plummeting.
Many opted to ditch the coats and scarves and rely solely on their beer jackets.
It comes after the Met Office warned of 80mph winds causing travel chaos for those heading home for Christmas.
Shopping hubs were also flooded with people buying last minute gifts yesterday.
But any such stresses of preparing for the festive period were washed away by Britain's youth as they guzzled wine and beer with their pals.
Extra security and police officers were deployed to monitor the tinsel-tasting revellers and ensure that the parties stayed peaceful.
Despite the chaotic nature of the night, the influx of boozers will have come as a relief to any struggling restaurants, bars and pubs.
New figures predict that 300 million pints could be poured in December, which will give the economy a £3.3billion boost.
However, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) have wanted that most pubs only make 12p profit per pint.
Many food and drink chains have been struggling recently as the cost of living has led to fewer people spending on eating out.
Businesses looking to bounce back after the pandemic were then hit with soaring energy bills and inflation.
GREY CHRISTMAS
Despite the night time chill felt in the early hours, weather conditions are expected to improve today and tomorrow, with the UK set to see a "grey Christmas", rather than a white one.
Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud said: "We're expecting to see some sunny spells further east and a lot of cloud from the west.
"Temperatures should rise considerably and it will be extremely mild over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
"In England and Wales, temperatures will be well above average with some grey in the mix.
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"We're expecting an average of around 12C or 13C on Christmas Eve and 11C or 12C on Christmas Day. The usual average for this time of year is 7C or 8C so we'll be around double where we usually are.
"Overnight temperatures in Scotland for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be extremely mild."
