Notting Hill Carnival stabbings at highest level in years as police say it has become 'unsustainable'

30 August 2023, 09:43

By Kieran Kelly

@kellyjourno

Stabbings at Notting Hill carnival reached their highest level in years over the weekend, with police warning violence at the festival has become 'unsustainable'.

A 29-year-old man was left 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.

The rate of stabbings at the west London carnival was at its highest level this year since 2016, the Met has said.

Over the weekend, the force made a total of 308 arrests, including for sexual offences, possession of drugs and offensive weapons, as well as assaults on police officers.

Some 57 officers were attacked at the carnival, police said, with some kicked, punched, or sexually assaulted.

"You can’t have it that every single year come Tuesday morning we’re contemplating these types of injuries, this numbers of injuries and sexual assaults and stabbings. It really is awful," Vice Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, Rick Prior told The Telegraph.

Read More: Terrifying moment ‘machete-wielding’ youth runs through Notting Hill carnival crowds amid night ‘marred by violence’

Read More: 'Move it to a park': Tory Mayor candidate says move 'dangerous' Notting Hill Carnival to 'easier to police' location

Meanwhile, Ken Marsh, chairman of the federation, told The Times: “How is it that the police, every August Bank Holiday weekend, rock up and have dozens assaulted? Tell me anywhere in the world where that happens.

“Unfortunately we have a mayor [Sadiq Khan] who tells everyone it [the carnival] is amazing, is the footprint of London and everyone needs to accept it, full stop.

"However, year after year there is a small [number] of individuals who come with one intent: to assault others, cause harm and disarray.”

Shocking video footage taken at the carnival shows a young man running through the streets of Notting Hill wielding a machete.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “We are aware of a video shared online which shows a male assaulting another male while armed with a large knife.

"Officers are investigating and will continue to work closely with partners to prevent this type of crime taking place at Carnival.”

It comes amid growing calls for Notting Hill Carnival to be moved off the streets and into a park.

When LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast asked Conservative London mayoral candidate Susan Hall about violence at the event she said it should be moved to a location easier to police.

"We have this every single year. Move it to where it can be policed much better."

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"Because it's so good and so successful very very many people go there, so it's very very difficult to police."

Ms Hall said she was urging organisers to move the event to "somewhere it can be policed much better."

"Perhaps to a park," but she said "every year" she hears reports of "accidents and stabbings and various things going on that we don't want"

She told Nick that police officers didn't want to be there because "they know they're in danger".