Petrol sale limit on New Year's Eve

France will limit the sale of petrol and other combustibles, including lighters, on New Year's Eve in an effort to reduce car torching across the country.

Each year youths, often in depressed suburbs of French cities, take to the streets to torch hundreds of vehicles in what has become an annual event. A mass mobilisation of police and security personnel will be in place for this New Year’s Eve celebrations on Saturday evening.

The tradition has gained ground since the early 90s, with revellers seeking to cause as much damage as possible in what has become an unofficial nationwide ‘competition’. Police no longer release statistics on the number of vehicles set alight as they are often used by those involved to ‘rank’ cities. Around 1,000 vehicles are thought to be torched each year.

One of the largest street parties in France will take place along the Champs Elysées in Paris this New Year’s Eve; alcohol sales in the surrounding area have been banned.