Notting Hill Carnival should become ticketed event to prevent violent crime, says former Met detective

1 September 2024, 08:55 | Updated: 1 September 2024, 09:04

The Notting Hill Carnival should become a ticketed event to prevent violent crime, a former Metropolitan Police detective has said.

Peter Bleksley has also called for Carnival to be "re-positioned" to a location such as Hyde Park to help make the annual London event "better policed" and "more secure".

This comes after police confirmed a 32-year-old mother and a tourist died after being attacked in separate incidents while attending the event last weekend.

Cher Maximen, 32, was at the event last Sunday with her child when she was stabbed. She died on Saturday morning, police confirmed.

Mussie Imnetu, a chef who was visiting London from Dubai, was found unconscious on Monday evening near Notting Hill and died from his injuries on Friday evening, police said.

With both deaths being treated as murder investigations, former Met Police and Scotland Yard detective Mr Bleksley has told LBC that making Carnival a ticketed event will help to prevent this type of crime.

He said: “I don't want the Carnival banned at all - far from it… But this criminality, this bloodshed has to stop.

“In my view the best way of doing that would be to reposition it, move it to Hyde Park for example. Make it a ticketed event and thereby holding it in an area which can be better policed, more secure and just try to stop this bloodshed.”

Former detective Peter Bleksley calls for the 're-positioning' of Notting Hill Carnival

Read more: Double tragedy as mum and tourist attacked in Notting Hill Carnival incidents both die

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Mr Bleksley has called for the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to intervene having previously made the same move with other high-profile events in the capital.

The former Met detective said: “He (Sadiq Khan) ticketed the New Year’s Eve fireworks display, so there is precedent for ticketing a large scale event with hundreds of thousands people attending it in London and thereby giving it a greater element of control.”

Data on Carnival from the Met shows in the six events since and including 2017, there have been 62 stabbings.

In addition to the fatal stabbing of Ms Maximen, the Met confirmed on Tuesday that there were a further seven stabbings this year while there were 61 incidents where officers were assaulted.

Regarding the assaults on officers, the statement said: “The assaults mostly involved kicks, punches or pushes. There were four incidents where officers were spat at, two where officers were headbutted and two where officers had glass bottles thrown at them.”

Following the two fatal incidents in this year’s event, Detective Chief Inspector Alex Gammampila of the Met's Homicide Command, said: "Cher was at Carnival with her young child.

“We have been in close contact with our local authority partners and Cher's family since soon after this incident to make sure the child is safe and looked after.”

Shakiel Thibou, 20 and of Masbro Road, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with the attempted murder of Ms Maximen.

He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday morning and was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on 25 September.

Police have said "in light of Cher’s death, the offence will be reviewed in conjunction with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)".

In relation to Mr Imnetu, earlier this week Omar Wilson, 31, of Leytonstone, was charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

He appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday and was remanded in custody to appear at Southwark Crown Court on 27 September.

His case will also be reviewed with the CPS, the Met said.