Officers were threatened and had objects thrown at them as they dispersed hundreds of people and seized equipment, the force said.
Two men from Harlow, aged 27 and 22, and a 35-year-old from Southwark were arrested.
They were held on suspicion of public order and drugs offences.
'Devastating'
Astrid Gillespie, a volunteer with the Friends of All Saints', said event organisers had smashed a window to put in an extractor fan unit and wired sound equipment into the church's fuse box.
She said: "It was a professional set-up, they'd hired Portaloos, they had a bar area where you had to exchange tokens... obviously it's a mess.
"It's such a beautiful church, to find out it's been damaged is devastating."
The conservation group believes it will cost at least £1,000 to repair the Tudor building.
Assistant Chief Constable Andy Prophet said: "Unfortunately, there were [those] who decided to blatantly flout the coronavirus rules and regulations and, ultimately, they decided that partying was more important than protecting other people.
"We've seized their equipment, arrested five people, and issued a large number of fines to those who think this behaviour is acceptable."
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has thanked the public for their trust and support “in the difficult times” and wished them happiness and good health in his first New Year cards to his people.
Kim usually gives a televised speech on January 1, but is widely expected to skip it this year since he will address the country’s first ruling party congress for five years later this month.
“I will work hard to bring earlier the new era in which the ideals and desires of our people will come true,” Kim said in his letter, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
“I offer thanks to the people for having invariably trusted and supported our party even in the difficult times,” he said.
“I sincerely wish all the families across the country greater happiness and beloved people, good health.”
People watch a news report about Kim Jong Un’s New Year message on a screen at Pyongyang railway station Credit: Cha Song Ho/AP
North Korea is one of the world’s most cloistered countries, and it is virtually impossible to independently confirm whether all its 25 million people received Kim’s letter.
KCNA said the letter was handwritten by Kim.
The last time a North Korean leader sent such a letter to ordinary citizens was on January 1, 1995, from Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il, according to Seoul’s Unification Ministry.
Kim, who succeeded his father upon his death in late 2011, is facing the toughest challenges of his nine-year rule due to the coronavirus pandemic, several natural disasters last summer and persistent US-led sanctions amid a diplomatic impasse over his nuclear programme.
Kim is likely to use the Workers’ Party congress as a venue to muster a stronger unity and lay out new development goals for the next few years.
People read about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s New Year message Credit: Jon Chol Jin/AP
A bruised economy
North Korea’s pandemic-related border closure with China, its biggest trading partner, is hurting the economy.
Bilateral trade volume in the first 11 months of 2020 plunged by about 79% from the same period in 2019, analyst Song Jaeguk at Seoul’s IBK Economic Research Institute said.
The congress, the first since 2016, is officially the party’s top decision-making body, though real day-to-day decisions are made by Kim and his close associates.
The rubber stamp body of delegates is expected to endorse Kim’s new initiatives without major debates.
State media did not say exactly when the meeting will take place. In 2016, the congress lasted for four days.
New Year celebrations and Covid doubts
Crowds of people watch the New Year fireworks display in Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea Credit: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP
Ushering in the new year, a large crowd packed Pyongyang’s main square to watch fireworks, a concert and a flag-hoisting ceremony.
State TV showed people wearing masks and heavy coats, waving and standing close together.
North Korea has steadfastly claimed to be coronavirus-free – an assertion doubted by outsiders.
But experts also say any outbreak was probably not widespread and so North Korea considered it safe to hold big events like the party congress in Pyongyang.
The '80-day battle'
Also on Friday, North Korea said it has successfully completed “an 80-day battle”, a productivity campaign it often launches to press citizens to work extra hours and report bigger production numbers ahead of major political events.
During the congress, experts say North Korea is likely to underscore building a stronger self-reliant economy to tackle the difficulties in an attempt to squeeze people to work harder.
KCNA said “the all-people advance by dint of self-reliance” achieved “a proud victory of the historic 80-day battle”.
It said North Koreans have either fulfilled or exceeded newly set quotas at factories, mines, farms, flooding recovery works, anti-coronavirus steps and various other areas.
The UK has seen off 2020 and celebrated the dawn of 2021 with a fireworks and light display over London that included tributes to NHS staff.
Revellers were not able to ring in the New Year in the usual way because of the coronavirus pandemic, with people instead told to stay at home.
But the 10-minute show over the Thames was aired on the BBC at midnight.
Edinburgh's traditional Hogmanay street party was cancelled, with videos of a drone display released instead.
The series of videos showed a swarm of 150 lit-up drones over the Scottish Highlands and Edinburgh were released, which organisers said it was the largest drone show ever produced in the UK.
Despite the cancellation of Edinburgh's traditional Hogmanay celebration - which normally attracts 100,000 people on the city's streets - there were some people who ignored the pleas to stay at home.
Crowds of several hundred people gathered at Edinburgh Castle to see in the new year. They sang Auld Lang Syne and danced before eventually dispersing when several police vans and cars pulled on to the castle esplanade.
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Much of the UK saw in the new year while under lockdown rules, with about 44 million people in England - or 78% of the population - in tier four, the top level of restrictions.
Mainland Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are also under lockdown.
On New Year's Eve, Health Secretary Matt Hancock called on people to take "personal responsibility" and stay at home to avoid spreading Covid-19.
London's televised display began with a poem which addressed the pandemic, saying: "In the year of 2020 a new virus came our way; We knew what must be done and so to help we hid away."
Light projections lit up the sky over the O2 Arena, including the NHS logo in a heart accompanied by a child's voice saying: "Thank you NHS heroes".
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Captain Sir Tom Moore, who raised £33m for the NHS by walking laps of his garden, was also featured in the display, with an image of him shone over the arena.
There was also a nod to one of the 2020 phenomena - working from home - with a mute logo backed by a voiceover saying "You're on mute".
The display also featured a recognition of the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as a call from Sir David Attenborough about the need for action on climate change.
In a speech being broadcast on BBC One between Doctor Who and EastEnders this evening, Sir David will say that this "could be a year for positive change - for ourselves, for our planet and for the wonderful creatures with which we share it".
Despite the "challenging" times we live in, "the reactions to these extraordinary times has proved that when we work together there is no limit to what we can accomplish", he will say, as he looks ahead to the United Nations Climate Change Conference later this year.
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Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was proud of the show, which he said "paid tribute to our NHS heroes and the way that Londoners continue to stand together".
"We showed how our capital and the UK have made huge sacrifices to support one another through these difficult times, and how they will continue to do so as the vaccine is rolled out."
Usually, around 100,000 people pack into the streets around Victoria Embankment to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks.
But this year, people were warned not to attend any parties outside their own homes, there were many people around the country who ignored the rules.
Essex Police, which was the first force to release details, said they issued more than £18,000 in organiser fines and fixed penalty notices overnight to "reckless individuals".
The force said: "It's after hundreds of people chose to attend unlicensed events in our county to flout coronavirus restrictions, endanger themselves and others, and put extra strain on our NHS on New Year's Eve."
There were three key events they broke up, including a house party in Sewardstonebury attended by about 100 people. The organiser was fined £10,000.
In his New Year's message, the Archbishop of Canterbury will say he saw "reasons to be hopeful for the year ahead" despite the "tremendous pain and sadness" brought by 2020.
The Most Reverend Justin Welby speaks of his experience volunteering as an assistant chaplain at St Thomas' hospital during the pandemic, saying: "Sometimes the most important thing we do is just sit with people, letting them know they are not alone."
In his message, filmed at the London hospital and to be broadcast on BBC One at 12:35 GMT, he says: "This crisis has shown us how fragile we are. It has also shown us how to face this fragility.
"Here at the hospital, hope is there in every hand that's held, and every comforting word that's spoken.
"Up and down the country, it's there in every phone call. Every food parcel or thoughtful card. Every time we wear our masks."
Did you make a special effort to celebrate this New Year? How did you mark it? Share your experiences and pictures of what you got up to by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
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The capital faces a shortage of critical care beds, and Royal London Hospital, one of the city’s busiest, told staff in an email it has gone into ‘disaster medicine mode’.
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But despite all of this, and the threat of a £10,000 fine for organising unlicensed music events, people in the capital still went out partying to ring in the new year.
Police in Barking and Dagenham, east London, said 70-100 people dispersed when they shut down an unlicensed music event.
A fire breather at last night’s anti-lockdown protest on the South Bank (Picture: Retuers)
Police shouted ‘go home’ as crowds marched through the streets (Picture: Reuters)
Activist Pierce Corbyn speaks to the crowd (Picture: Reuters)
Officers seized sound equipment and said they found 1,000 bottles of alcohol at the location.
The force tweeted: ‘Enquiries will be ongoing at venue re organiser & post incident. Working with partners & local residents & cctv to review.
‘By attending an Unlicensed Event you put yourself, others & your families & friends at risk. That then has consequences for those in the frontline.’
Barking and Dagenham police broke up another gathering of around 60 partygoers and issued a £10,000 fine to the organiser.
Police break up an illegal rave in London’s Royal Docks (Picture: @MPSNewham)
Mounted police trot past the London Eye (Picture: Reuters)
The Metropolitan Police has not revealed the total number of people arrested for breaking Covid restrictions last night (Picture: REX)
Police officers patrol during last night’s anti-lockdown demonstration (Picture: Reuters)
Police in the capital had a busy night (Picture: Getty Images)
The Met also shut down an illegal New Year’s Eve rave in London’s Royal Docks, with officers pictured clearing an industrial venue littered with bottles and laughing gas canisters.
Newham Police tweeted: ‘A large unlicensed music event has been shut down by officers tonight in Royal Docks.
‘Arrests made and considerations being given for a £10,000 fine for breaches of Covid-19 legislation.’
New Year's Eve celebrations were muted by coronavirus restrictions in London and New York, while countries including Australia and New Zealand welcomed in 2021 with impressive firework displays.
Big Ben ushered in 2021 with its chimes in an eerily subdued London, which would typically be packed with swathes of people waiting to watch a dazzling display of fireworks.
Bars and pubs that in past years would be filled with people singing Auld Lang Syne sat empty and silent across the whole country.
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UK welcomes in the New Year
In Edinburgh, where Hogmanay is one of the most anticipated festivals of the year, only small groups of people were seen in streets that would typically be thronging with revellers.
Image:An empty Princes Street in Edinburgh
There was also a crackdown on mass gatherings in New York, with police officers deployed in Times Square to turn away party-goers over concerns of the spread of COVID-19.
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The ball dropped like always in Times Square, but police fenced off the site synonymous with New Year's Eve to prevent crowds of any size from gathering.
Image:Revellers sit in their pods in Times Square on New Year's Eve
Image:Times Square sits empty ahead of the New Year's Eve 2021 celebration
Meanwhile, other parts of the world celebrated in their near-usual style.
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Australia was among the first nations to ring in 2021 with a made-for-TV-fireworks display which didn't disappoint compared to previous years.
Shortened to seven minutes, the display took place over Harbour Bridge, which was only watched live by those who live in the area and their guests.
Image:Fireworks explode over the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge
The celebrated annual event normally attracts one million people, but this year Australian officials banned people from gathering near the bridge to watch due to coronavirus restrictions.
In Auckland, New Zealand, residents were treated to a five-minute fireworks and light show when the clock struck midnight.
Crowds were allowed to gather in the city to mark the occasion due to the nation's low number of new coronavirus cases.
Image:Auckland, New Zealand, also put on a fireworks display
North Korea began 2021 with crowds in the capital Pyongyang's main square, with a concert and fireworks show held amid COVID-19 restrictions.
State television showed attendees wearing face masks but standing close together, waving glowing lights and balloons.
In South Korea, Seoul's city government canceled its annual New Year's Eve bell-ringing ceremony in the Jongno neighborhood for the first time since the event was first held in 1953, months after the end of the Korean War.
Image:North Korea impressed with a fireworks display
Taiwan, which has been a success story of the pandemic, hosted its usual fireworks display by its capital city's iconic tower, Taipei 101.
For its annual flag-raising ceremony in front of the Presidential Office Building on New Year's morning, attendance was limited to government officials and invited guests.
Image:Fireworks were let off from the Taipei 101 building during the New Year's celebrations in Taipei, Taiwan
Thailand ushered in the New Year with a fireworks display at the Iconsiam mall in Bangkok.
The country imposed a ban on Wednesday on large gatherings and events across the country in an effort to contain its worst coronavirus epidemic yet.
Image:New Year's Eve celebrations in Bangkok, Thailand
Officials in Hong Kong cancelled the pyrotechnics over Victoria Harbour, as well as the annual iconic Lunar New Year parade in February.
Beijing held a countdown ceremony with just a few invited guests, while other planned events were called off.
In Wuhan, where the pandemic is thought to have originated, thousands gathered at several popular landmarks across the city centre for the countdown to 2021.
Some said they were being cautious, but weren't particularly worried.
Japan rang in the New Year without its annual event at which Emperor Naruhito and other imperial family members greet members of the public.
In Tokyo, not only were all-night trains cancelled on New Year's Eve, but several of the city's big countdown parties, concerts and other seasonal gatherings were called off as well, including the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing party.
Image:People pray for the New Year at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, Japan
In Ireland, the bells of Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin did not ring in the New Year for the first time in living memory and possibly in centuries.
With the entire country under the toughest COVID-19 restrictions, all New Year's Eve events were moved online.
South African citizens were also urged to cancel parties, with many instead lighting candles as a way to honour health workers and people who have died in the COVID-19 pandemic.
In many European countries, authorities warned they were preparing to clamp down on revellers breaching coronavirus measures, including nightly curfews in France, Italy, Turkey, Latvia, the Czech Republic, and Greece.
Image:Police officers patrol at the central square in Athens, Greece, during a curfew imposed after 10pm
As the clock struck midnight, fireworks erupted over Moscow's Red Square and the Acropolis in Athens, but the explosions echoed across largely empty streets as people obeyed orders to stay home.
"No one will be on the streets after 10pm (Athens) will be a dead city to make sure no more restrictions are imposed," said Greece's public order minister, Michalis Chrisohoidis.
France mobilised 100,000 police and gendarmes to break up New Year's Eve parties and enforce a curfew from 8pm to 6am.
Image:Policemen patrol the streets in Paris, France, to curb the spread of COVID-19
Half of the metro lines in Paris were also closed in the evening to discourage gatherings.
In Germany, the sale and use of fireworks in public places was banned in the run up to 31 December to discourage large crowds.
South America also saw dampened celebrations as the continent battles coronavirus.
Image:Beaches were quieter in Brazil
In Brazil, home to the world's second-deadliest outbreak after the United States, beaches and bars normally packed with NYE revellers were much quieter than usual.
Rio officials decided to seal off Copacabana beach, where millions of people dressed in white usually gather to marvel at fireworks and attend large concerts, to everyone but residents.
