By Jonathan Paisley and Catriona Stewart ORGANISERS of Glasgow's biggest Hogmanay bash will issue 25,000 refunds this week after the party was cancelled amid 70mph winds.

Officials pulled the plug on the event, which was due to be headlined by The Fratellis, The View, and Sandi Thom, at 4pm on Sunday, forcing thousands of revellers to make alternative plans.

Event staff had to be evacuated from storm-battered George Square after debris was ripped off nearby buildings, and portaloos and crash barriers were blown across the ground.

Details of how to claim refunds on the £10 tickets were expected to be finalised today with agents Ticketmaster.

Council chiefs insisted they had made the right decision and said public safety was paramount.

Despite the call-off, thousands of people braved high winds and torrential rain to see in the new year in the city centre.

Janet Grant, 23, heard about the cancellation on the radio, but still decided to travel.

She said: "I had my fingers crossed all day that they wouldn't cancel but I think they had to."

The number of extra party-goers roaming the city looking for entertainment meant that clubs and bars were jam-packed.

Peter Ramsey, 26, had tickets for George Square but decided not to let the bad weather dampen the start of 2007. He said: "I am gutted about missing the Fratellis though and one of my mates is over from America so it's a bit of a shame that he'll miss out on a proper Glasgow Hogmanay."

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: "Our priority is public safety and while every effort was made to ensure the event could go ahead, a multi-agency decision was made after conditions deteriorated."

The celebrations across Scotland sparked the busiest night of the year for ambulance crews.

Paramedics had to deal with nearly 1900 incidents and most were fuelled by booze, according to the Scottish Ambulance Service.

The busiest areas were Glasgow, Ayrshire and Lanarkshire, where crews dealt with 746 call-outs.