CROWDS gathered in Oxford at the crack of dawn for May Morning - despite official events being cancelled.

Typically, cheerful crowds of around 13,000 people fill up Oxford High Street and neighbouring roads for a mix of singing and early morning drinking to celebrate the arrival of spring. 

The event has been going on for hundreds of years with celebrations kick-starting at 6am and spilling over into the afternoon. 

But this year, for the second year running, May Morning has been cancelled because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

However, huddles of students still arrived on Magdalen Bridge watching the bright orange sunrise coming up over the Angel and Greyhound Meadow as the Great Tower Bells chimed at 6am. 

Oxford Mail: The sunrise onto the MeadowThe sunrise onto the Meadow

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A police van full of officers patrolled the area as calm crowds sipped drinks and chanted songs. 

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Elsewhere in Oxford, the streets looked bare. 

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High Street and Broad Street were both completely empty at around 6.15am.

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On Cornmarket Street, a queue of people waited outside McDonald's for doors to open for breakfast orders. 

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