In Pictures: Then and now – 75 years since VE Day

Street parties and crowds cheering in Trafalgar Square marked Victory in Europe Day in 1945 – but Friday’s 75th anniversary of the momentous occasion will prove a stark contrast.

The coronavirus outbreak has forced the cancellation of planned celebrations.

But Britons have been urged to bring out the bunting nevertheless, and mark the occasion at home and via online platforms.

Here, we remember VE Day celebrations from the past – with the packed streets of 1945 a far cry from life under lockdown.