Man in critical condition after series of stabbings at Notting Hill carnival
29 August 2023, 05:45 | Updated: 29 August 2023, 07:31
Two men are in hospital following a spate of stabbing incidents as the Notting Hill Carnival came to a close, the Metropolitan Police has said.
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A 29-year-old man is in critical condition in hospital following a stabbing in Warfield Road just after 9pm on Monday. Another man, 19, is in a serious but stable condition in hospital after he was stabbed shortly before 8pm in Ladbroke Grove.
Six other men, aged between 18 and 40, sustained non-life threatening injuries in separate attacks on Monday evening as the Notting Hill carnival drew to a close.
Some 275 arrests were made by the Met across two days of the carnival, with 165 of them taking place on Monday for a range of offences.
That includes possession of offensive weapons, assaults on police officers, possession of drugs and sexual offences.
"It is regrettable that for a second year in a row, Monday night at Carnival has been marred by serious violence, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan, who oversaw the policing operation, said.
"Nobody disputes the significance of Carnival on London's cultural calendar and the overwhelming majority of those who came will have had a positive experience.
"However, we cannot overlook the stabbings, sexual assaults and attacks on police officers that we have seen.
"As we do following any major operation, we will be reviewing the events of the past two days and giving thorough consideration to what may need to change in future years."
He continued: "It is important to recognise the positives that we can take away from the event.
"I am pleased that by working in close partnership with the event organisers and the stewarding teams, we were able to closely monitor crowd density and intervene in an effective way to prevent any incidents of crushing at peak times.
"I would like to thank all the officers who have worked so hard over the weekend to keep people safe.
"Carnival is a challenging policing environment. Officers were asked to be vigilant and alert but to be approachable, respectful and sensitive at the same time. They did all of that and more and they deserve our recognition and our thanks."
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The cultural festival takes place in the iconic Notting Hill every year, with the climax taking place on Monday.
Millions of people visited the carnival across the weekend as part of the annual celebration of Caribbean culture and history.
Celebrities including Lily Allen, Idris Elba and Nick Grimshaw were among those partying at this year's carnival.
