29 August 2023 , 07:00
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Two men are in hospital following a number of stabbings as the Notting Hill Carnival came to a close on Monday night.
Thousands took part in the adult parade yesterday as part of the annual celebration of Caribbean culture and history. Many wore incredible colourful costumes through the streets of west London, marking the climax of the carnival.
However, the event was marred by a series of stabbings, with one man, 29, in a critical condition following violence just after 9pm on Monday. A 19-year-old man is in a serious but stable condition in hospital while six other men, aged 18, 19, 20, 25, 28 and 40, sustained non-life threatening injuries in separate stabbing incidents.
Police officers intervening on Monday during the second day of the event (NO CREDIT)Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan, who oversaw the policing operation, said: “It is regrettable for a second year in a row, Monday night at Carnival has been marred by serious violence.
“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 we have seen.
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“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.”
An officer calls out to revellers sat on a bus stop (Sama Kai/Dave Benett/Getty Image)In total, there were 275 arrests across the two days of the carnival, with 165 arrests on Monday for a range of offences, including possession of offensive weapons, assaults on police officers, possession of drugs and sexual offences.
DAC Adelekan added: “It is important to recognise the positives we can take away from the event. I am pleased 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.
People turned out in an array of incredible outfits for the carnival (Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock)“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.”
Celebrities including Lily Allen, Idris Elba, Nick Grimshaw, Dizzee Rascal, and Little Mix's Leigh-Anne Pinnock were among those partying at this year’s event. More than two million people expected to have taken to the streets of west London.
This year’s celebrated two landmark anniversaries. The introduction of sound systems and mas bands 50 years ago transformed it into a large-scale event and the docking of the Empire Windrush 75 years ago heralded mass immigration from the Caribbean.
Officers taking up their positions ahead of the Adult's Day parade (Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock)One DJ set this year was hosted by Luther star Elba, 50, who has been DJing for years and had a residency in the Club Room at HI Ibiza in 2022.
Among the most memorable additions to the parade was a Windrush-themed double-decker bus seen travelling up Ladbroke Grove.
The “beautifully designed” vehicle told the story of the Windrush generation and their “impact on carnival, the transport network and our city”, according to London mayor Sadiq Khan.
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Deborah Klass, of the Windrush Generation Legacy Association, who was on board, told the BBC: “It’s a landmark moment for us – this year is significantly momentous.”