Notting Hill Carnival horror as 5 stabbed, guns seized, 230 arrested and 35 cops injured_l
Notting Hill Carnival drew in roughly one million people over the Bank Holiday weekend, and 5 people were stabbed with 35 of 7,000 on duty officers injured
Police officers attend Notting Hill Carnival (Image: Getty Images)
Every year the Notting Hill Carnival weekend is one of the busiest for emergency services in and around London, and this year was no different with the Metropolitan Police tonight revealing that, at final county, they made at least 230 arrests for offences including five horror stabbings.
The event, which took place on Sunday and Monday, drew in an estimated one million people over the bank holiday weekend, with about 7,000 officers on duty across the celebrations. The carnival is Europe’s biggest street party and is billed by organisers as “the greatest community-led event on the planet””
And, while the vast majority behaved themselves, a number of people have found themselves in a police cell for criminal offences. The Metropolitan Police issued an update detailing the number of offences they’ve dealt with over the course of the event.
As of 10.45pm on Monday, August 26, the force confirmed three firearms have been seized, two at Carnival and one during a vehicle stop in Harrow involving individuals believed to be on their way to the event. There had also been five stabbings, two incidents where victims sustained slash wounds and “an incident involving a corrosive substance”, police said.
Police officers make an arrest at the Notting Hill Carnival on Monday (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Shockingly, two of those who were stabbed are in a life threatening condition. The 32-year-old woman stabbed on Sunday also remains fighting for her life in hospital in a life threatening condition. A total of 230 people had been arrested and 35 officers were injured.
A breakdown of offences for Monday’s arrests has been uploaded to the Met Police website and shared on their social media channels.
Here’s the full list:
- 49 x possession of an offensive weapon
- 37 x assault on an emergency worker
- 8 x sexual offences
- 9 x violence with injury
- 15 x other violence
- 1 x possession of a firearm
- 2 x vehicle crime
- 1 x harassment
- 11 x possession with intent to supply drugs
- 9 x possession of class A drugs
- 40 x possession of class B drugs
- 4 x possession of nitrous oxide
- 6 x possession of drugs (other)
- 2 x theft from a person
- 3 x other theft offences
- 11 x public order offences
- 22 x other offences
As of 11pm last night police confirmed there was only a small number of people left in the vicinity of the Carnival. A police spokesperson cnfirmed officers remained in the area to ensure any further incidents were dealt with.
Police officers patrol the area during the Monday Parade (Image: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing)
As with many large gatherings The Metropolitan Police put a Section 60 order in place “for the Carnival area from 6.05pm to 2am”, giving police greater stop and search powers. The police said the order also gives officers the power to demand the removal of face coverings being used to conceal a person’s identity and anyone refusing can be arrested.
Prior to this year’s Carniva, CEO Matthew Phillip said the event could provide a good opportunity for communities to unite after the riots that have swept the UK in recent weeks.
He said: “If you come to Carnival at the weekend you are going to see people from all walks of life, different backgrounds, essentially at ease with each other and enjoying themselves. Aside from any economic benefits the carnival brings to the UK, this is just as important as bringing people together to celebrate.
“We are all human beings and it’s about coming together to celebrate and it’s always relevant, some might say more so given what’s happened up and down the UK. It‘s the biggest celebration of inclusion and diversity the UK has, if not Europe, and it’s very important it stays that way.”
