Two men were also stabbed as police made 90 arrests following a day of violence and disorder on the Sunday of the London street festival
Police officers at the Children’s Day Parade, part of the Notting Hill Carnival celebration in west London (Jeff Moore/PA) (Image: PA Wire)
A 32-year-old woman is battling for her life in hospital after being stabbed at the Notting Hill Carnival on Sunday. The incident, which also saw two other individuals stabbed, marred the Children’s Parade that drew thousands of participants.
Despite the day being dedicated to children and families, the Metropolitan Police reported instances of serious violence and lawlessness. Over a dozen officers were injured and 90 arrests were made as a small fraction of attendees engaged in criminal activities and violence.
Two men, aged 29 and 24, were victims of separate stabbing incidents on Sunday, a day that saw hundreds of thousands of revellers descend on Notting Hill to partake in the vibrant celebration of Caribbean culture. The festivities are expected to attract over a million people in total.
The three stabbings and subsequent d isorder led to 18 arrests for possession of an “offensive weapon”, 10 for assaulting emergency workers, and left 15 officers with injuries, albeit not severe. Eight individuals were also detained on suspicion of intent to supply drugs.
15 police officers were injured during Carnival, which draws more than a million people to London (Image: Getty)
In a statement released at 9pm on Sunday, the Metropolitan Police provided an update on the day’s events: “Hundreds of thousands of people came to enjoy a fantastic celebration. Our officers have been on duty working to keep them safe as part of a very carefully planned policing operation.”
“Regrettably, a minority came to commit crime and engage in violence. We’re aware of three stabbings. A 32-year-old woman is in hospital in a life-threatening condition, a 29-year-old man is in hospital with non-life threatening injuries and we await an update on the condition of a 24-year-old man.”
The police made a series of other arrests, with drugs-related crimes making up over a third (38) of their total. After drugs and attacks on emergency service workers, the highest number of arrests were for assault, with a further four for robbery and for sexual offences.
A Section 60AA order was placed on Notting Hill on Sunday evening in the wake of the three stabbings that will run until 2am, Monday morning. This order gives police officers the power to remove people’s face coverings in the area and arrest anyone who refuses.
In 2023, over the weekend, there were 275 arrests and eight stabbings over the course of the Carnival.
