Six people have been arrested in connection with London's Tube party, and a station temporarily closed.

Thousands of revellers took to the Tube to mark the end of drinking on London's public transport.

An alcohol ban was announced earlier this month by new Mayor Boris Johnson, covering the London Underground, buses, Docklands Light Railway and tram services across the capital.

From Sunday, drinking from - and carrying - open containers of alcohol will be banned.

A spokesman for the British Transport Police said: "There have been a few hotspots on the Circle line, at Baker Street and at Liverpool Street, mostly with overcrowding on the platforms. All arrests have been made for minor drunk and disorderly offences."

Liverpool Street's Underground station was closed for an hour from 9pm.

Party-goers clutching copious quantities of alcohol met at Liverpool Street Station's west-bound Circle Line platform on Saturday evening.

Banker Matt Wynn, 43, said: "I've come along with a bottle of champagne because I want to show that you can drink responsibly on the Tube and not cause trouble. It's going to be a bit of a stop-start evening, though, because there are no toilets on the Tube."

Tara Harrison, 26, from Australia, said: "When I heard about it, I had to come along. I don't think (the ban) is a good idea, because it's not going to work. People get on the Tube when they're already drunk, they don't get on the Tube to drink."

Her friend, Steve Nosworthy, 27, also from Australia, said: "I've brought along this big crate of Carling and I'm going to go round and round all night - well, until 12 o'clock, when I'll probably get kicked off."

One man who thought he had found a loophole in the new drinking rule was Alias Cummins, a managing director from London, who had brought along a Portini.

He said: "It's a portable martini, it comes with a lid, so at 12 o'clock I can seal my drink and they can't touch me."

The Rail Maritime and Transport Union General Secretary, Bob Crow, said the ban on alcohol on Tube trains was "half-baked" and could put staff at greater danger of assault.

But Mr Johnson said: "I'm determined to improve the safety and security of public transport in London and create a better environment for the millions of Londoners who rely on it. The ban has the full support of the Metropolitan Police and British Transport Police."

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