New York secures Times Square

Security teams in New York are sealing off manholes and removing pillar boxes around Times Square in preparation for the New Year celebrations.

Thousands are expected to attend and each can expect to be searched before they are admitted.

Police commissioner Ray Kelly says a couple of thousand officers will be on duty.

Authorities are also prohibiting alcohol and large bags.

In addition, police plan to deploy transit officers to subway stations, undercover officers throughout the midtown Manhattan crowd and snipers to nearby rooftops.

Pilots are banned from flying lower than 2,000 feet over the area, and streets are being closed to traffic.

"It's always a balance between restricting people's ability to go about their lives and enjoy themselves and a level of security, and you hope that you get that balance right," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

He added that city officials had not received information about any specific threats against the celebration but it was "better to be safe than sorry".