Police vow to clamp down on illegal street parties over weekend Notting Hill Carnival was due to take place
By Julia Gregory, Local Democracy Reporter
Normally the streets of West London are packed with more than two million revellers over the August bank holiday weekend for the Notting Hill Carnival.
But in May this year the event – which is billed as Europe’s largest street party – was cancelled for safety reasons because of the coronavirus pandemic.
It typically attracts 2.5m people, with 9,000 police and 40,000 volunteers attending.
Organisers are planning an online event instead for safety reasons because of the coronavirus pandemic.
But a senior police officer revealed that officers wearing face masks will be on hand to disperse any unofficial parties unconnected to the carnival that weekend to help prevent any flare ups of coronavirus.
Chief Superintendent Helen Harper, who is in charge of policing in Kensington and Chelsea, said police are building up intelligence to prevent any large gatherings.
She told Kensington and Chelsea councillors she anticipated a “challenging” time over the August bank holiday.
It comes after the borough was the scene of some unofficial gatherings after lockdown eased last month.
Police broke up an unlicensed street party in Colville Gardens at the end of June. It was one of several events across the capital as temperatures soared and people got together despite social distance guidelines.
Chief Supt Harper said that police were prepared for any unofficial events and the police who were due to work over the bank holiday weekend were still down for duty.
Chief Supt Harper said: “The good news is that all the officers who would have been on duty anyway for the Notting Hill Carnival and for most officers working in the Met, that is a force-rostered working weekend, so there are plenty of resources across the Met on duty.”
She said they were still on duty even though there is no carnival this year.
She said: “There will be sufficient resources to deal with whatever challenges there are that weekend can bring us.
“We are working really hard with our colleagues at the public order branch who are monitoring the intelligence and the information in relation to any unlicensed music event, any plans by any significant groups to gather and to host a party.”
Pictured above: The Notting Hill Carnival is one of many evens cancelled in London this year due to the coronavirus pandemic
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