Defiant revellers refuse to let sexual attacks overshadow carnival in Cologne

Undeterred by sexual attacks blamed on migrants on New Year’s Eve, cannon fire followed by a rain of confetti heralded the start of Cologne’s annual Carnival, when hundreds of thousands of revellers take to the streets and pubs of the ancient German city for five days of boisterous partying.

Festivities this year have been overshadowed by security concerns, prompting police to double the number of officers on patrol to more than 2,000 in an effort to reassure the public after an unprecedented series of robberies and sexual assaults mostly targeting women at New Year.

Police say the attacks were mostly carried out by foreigners, fuelling debate in Germany about the country’s ability to cope with the huge number of migrants that have arrived over the past year.