Thousands packed the streets of west London to celebrate Notting Hill Carnival

Tens of thousands of carnival goers flooded the streets of west London with colour and music for the final day of this year’s Notting Hill carnival yesterday.

Dancers wore flamboyant costumes, floats sailed through the streets, vendors cooked up a mix of food on open barbecues, and sound systems filled the air with an array of house, samba, reggae and ska music.

More than one million people were expected to attend the bank holiday weekend event which began in 1966.

But, as with previous years, the weekend was marked by a spate of violent crimes.

Five people were stabbed on Monday, according to the Met, and three people were stabbed on Sunday, including a 32-year-old woman who was attending with her child.

Three of those stabbed, including the mother, are in life-threatening condition, the force said.

A 29-year-old man remains in hospital in a non-life-threatening condition and a 24-year-old man has discharged himself from hospital.

There was also an incident involving a corrosive substance, police said.

Three firearms were seized, and 61 officers were assaulted.

The assaults mostly involved kicks, punches or pushes. There were four incidents where officers were spat at, two where officers were head butted and two where officers had glass bottles thrown at them.

The Met’s deputy assistant commissioner, Ade Adelekan, said: “Yesterday we saw the first day marred by unacceptable violence. Three people were stabbed and we only very narrowly avoided a fatality.

“This was supposed to be ‘family day’ – a celebration suitable for all ages. 

“We are tired of saying the same words every year. We are tired of telling families that their loved ones are seriously injured, or worse. We are tired of seeing crime scenes at carnival.

“Carnival is a community event and the vast majority of people come to celebrate, to dance, to enjoy music and have a fantastic experience.”

Some attendees were made to walk through metal-detecting “knife arches” as they arrived on Monday.

There were 349 arrests over the weekend – 102 on Sunday and 247 on Monday. These included 72 for possession of an offensive weapon, two for possession of a firearm and 13 for sexual offences.

A section 60 order, providing officers with additional search power, was in force in the carnival area until 2am this morning. 

A section 60AA order was also in force, giving officers the power to order the removal of face coverings being used to conceal a person’s identity.

Pictured top: Crowds in Ladbroke Grove during the Notting Hill Carnival celebration over the Bank Holiday weekend (Picture: PA media)