A BUS of Fools, which will form the centrepiece of New Year's Eve celebrations, trundled into the city yesterday.

The vehicle, containing characters from Geordie cult magazine Viz, will be set alight in a fire and pyrotechnic display at Newcastle's Haymarket.

Reaching a height of 30ft, with the Viz characters bursting out of the top, the bus has been created by Ozzie Riley, from Dodgy Clutch Staged Productions.

Each character is dressed in traditional Tyneside costume, reflecting and celebrating the area's culture, and the bus will be set alight by the Grim Reaper.

The display was inspired by the Spanish tradition of Fallas, where artists in Valencia create giant satirical sculptures each year, which are displayed and set alight.

The Bus of Fools has been commissioned by Newcastle City Council, with additional funding from the Northern Arts Lottery Fund, BT and Northern Rock.