Scotland Yard hails 'safe and spectacular' Notting Hill carnival with knife arches and stop and search used

Colourful festival: Performers at this year's Notting Hill Carnival
PA

Scotland Yard today hailed the Notting Hill Carnival a “safe and spectacular” success as party-goers welcomed a rise in police numbers.

More than a million revellers descended on west London for Europe’s biggest street party, which took place yesterday and Sunday.

Officers imposed stop-and-search orders on both days and installed new “knife arch” metal detectors at key points for the first time after a surge in violence on London’s streets.

A man who suffered non-life threatening injuries after being stabbed in Ladbroke Grove last night was thought to be the only knife crime victim of the carnival.

Police officers attempt to filter in thousands of revellers as they arrive at the Notting Hill Carnival
EPA

There were outbreaks of minor violence involving groups thought to be returning from the carnival last night.

A woman was hit over the head with a bottle in a brawl at the Caledonian Road and Barnsbury rail station but was not seriously hurt.

A street corner strewn with litter after carnival
Justin Thomas

In Brent, the Met’s Trident gangs unit was investigating after a shot was fired in the street last night. This year 13,020 officers — 447 more than last year — policed the carnival, which resulted in 373 arrests for a range of offences, including 156 over drugs, 69 for offensive weapons and nine for sexual offences.

The same street corner cleared of litter
Justin Thomas

The total of arrests compared with 301 last year and 454 in 2016.

Enough rubbish to fill 24 buses cleared from streets

An army of 200 cleaners cleared more than 300 tonnes of rubbish from the Notting Hill Carnival route’s litter-strewn streets within hours.

As soon as partygoers dispersed, the cleaners and 30 rubbish lorries descended to clear enough litter to fill 24 London buses by 6am. Photos show the transformation at Ladbroke Grove with mounds of rubbish disappearing overnight.

The clean-up operation over both nights takes months of planning and requires staff to work until the early hours of the morning.

This year Kensington and Chelsea council encouraged carnival-goers to recycle cans, plastic bottles and leftover food at a stand on Portobello Green.Contractor SUEZ said it had recycled more than ever before.

Councillor Gerard Hargreaves said: “We want this to be a sustainable carnival.”

A total of 30 police officers were injured over the two days — compared to 38 last year — with 26 people arrested for police-related assaults.

British Transport Police also made 22 arrests at Tube and rail stations, including one man held for possession of a bottle containing a corrosive substance. They also seized four knives.

Notting Hill Carnival 2018 Day Two - In pictures

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Commander Dave Musker, who led the policing operation, described it as “one of the smoothest and most efficient carnivals I have seen”. He added: “We would like to thank all those who took to the streets to celebrate everything that the carnival stands for, in a kind and considerate manner... Unfortunately there is still a minority that seek to tarnish this celebration and we will continue to review our security measures.”

Sections of the celebration paused at 3pm on both days to hold a 72 second silence in memory of the victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster. Despite the increased police presence and downpours on Sunday, revellers described the carnival as “vibrant” and “good fun”. Matthew Phillip, Notting Hill Carnival executive director, said: “We would like to echo the words of the police that, despite the very few that seek to tarnish this community’s celebration of history and culture, it was once again a hugely successful weekend.”

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