More than 400 arrests have been made over the two main days of Notting Hill Carnival including two stabbings, the Metropolitan Police have said. There have been two reported stabbings, in Powis Terrace and Oxford Gardens. Neither resulted in life-threatening injuries.
As of 8pm on Monday, 423 people had been arrested since Sunday. Of those, 223 were made on Monday, with 177 inside the Carnival area and 46 on the approaches to the event. On Sunday, there were 200 arrests in total, including 149 at Carnival and 51 nearby. The force said 52 arrests came as a result of identifications using live facial recognition technology.
A breakdown of offences shows arrests for:
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32 assaults on police
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46 possession of offensive weapons
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70 possession of cannabis
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32 possession of Class A drugs
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44 drug supply offences
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5 robberies
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4 incidents of violence with injury
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36 other violent offences
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18 sexual offences
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136 other offences
Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward, the policing commander for Notting Hill Carnival this year, said: “ This year we have proactively targeted those who have attempted to come to Carnival to cause harm to others.
“We have used live facial recognition, knife arches and our stop and search powers to identify and arrest more than 400 suspects. These arrests have prevented some of the serious violence we have seen at previous Carnivals.
“We thank the organisers and others who spoke out in the days and weeks ahead of the event to emphasise what Carnival stands for, to reject violence and to urge anyone planning to come for conflict or confrontation to stay at home All of this joint effort has helped to make this this year’s Carnival a safer event for all.”
Police said the figures were subject to change as more data is processed, with a final update expected on Tuesday.
Comparison to 2024
In 2024:
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Two people died – Cher Maximen, 32, was stabbed in front of her daughter; chef Mussie Imnetu later died from a head injury.
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Eight people were stabbed in total.
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355 arrests were made (104 on Sunday, 251 on Monday).
The Met says most people attend Carnival to celebrate and enjoy themselves, but a small minority cause violence.
Bands and floats representing the Caribbean, African and Brazilian diaspora paraded through west London. Thousands of people lined the route in warm conditions, with temperatures reaching 26C.
Groups included Bajan Raw Licquer, Mahogany, Chocolate Nation, Mas Africa, Vincy Alliance and United Kreyol, which reflect traditions from Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, St Lucia, Grenada, Jamaica, Dominica and Haiti.
Brazilian performers from Paraiso Samba School, Batala and Dende Nation added to the line-up, alongside long-established UK community bands.
Maria James, 34, said: “It feels like a piece of the Caribbean right here in London.”
James Lewis, 41, who travelled from Birmingham, said: “It’s amazing to see so many cultures coming together.”
Earlier in the day, Kensington and Chelsea Council said an estimated 150 tonnes of rubbish was cleared after the first day of festivities.
The council expects 300 tonnes to be collected over the weekend, with 180 staff and 45 vehicles working overnight.
The clean-up will continue on Monday night to prepare the area for normal business on Tuesday morning.
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