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Notting Hill Carnival at risk of a “Hillsborough scale tragedy”, police warn

By | Published on Wednesday 18 January 2017

Notting Hill Carnival

Police have warned that the Notting Hill Carnival is at risk of a “Hillsborough scale tragedy” if steps are not taken to improve safety. An increase in violent crime and overcrowding at the annual event are key areas of concern, says a new report by the London Assembly Police And Crime Committee.

As one of Europe’s biggest carnivals, the event is a major operation, with over 50,000 performers and a million visitors over two days policed by up to 7000 police officers each day.

The new report says that there were 450 arrests at the 2016 event, up from 300 in 2015 and the highest number since 2008. Though more than the rise in arrests, it was a rise in violent crime which police said was worrying, with four near-fatal stabbings last year.

“Public concern about the level of crime at Carnival is nothing new”, says the report. “But we are now seeing a rise in more serious and violent crimes: this year four stabbings almost became murders. Traditionally, the vast majority of offences have been related to theft and drugs. The number of violent crimes, however, is rising. Several of those violent incidents were serious and nearly resulted in loss of life: something that has not happened at Carnival in over a decade”.

The report also noted points of overcrowding that put the public in danger. In particular, it singled out an area of Ladbroke Grove where people have to push together to allow carnival floats and support vehicles through. Also, in an area of All Saints Road, safety barriers collapsed three times in 2016, due to the number of people attempting to get close to the soundsystems.

Chair of the London Assembly Police And Crime Committee Steve O’Connell says in the report that “alarm bells are ringing” over the event, adding: “We want Carnival to succeed, but it has reached a tipping point where the status quo is not an option. The previous mayor got a grip on London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks; the current mayor now needs to do the same with Notting Hill Carnival”.

“The police warn of the risk of a ‘Hillsborough’ scale tragedy; it would be foolish to ignore these voices”, adds Met Police Public Order Commander David Musker. “Each year, and last year was no exception, we came exceptionally close to a major catastrophic failure of public safety where members of the public would face serious injury”.

The report concludes: “We have heard of a number of possible changes to Carnival which could both help return it to its roots as a celebration of Caribbean culture and enhance public safety. Organisers need to give serious consideration to any changes, big or small, that will improve both safety and the overall Carnival experience”.

In its recommendations, it adds that the mayor’s office should provide “advice and guidance” to help find a “more formal and financially sustainable footing” – the cost of policing last year’s event having come in at £7 million.

Speaking to The Guardian, race relations activist Lee Jasper, who authored a report into the Carnival in 2004, while working for then London Mayor Ken Livingstone, said that he was “underwhelmed” by the new report, saying that it largely raised concerns he had identified thirteen years ago. However, he said that he agreed that the event has grown too big to be organised by a volunteer group.

“It’s tokenistic, I think it lacks insight”, he said of the report. “I think they haven’t done their homework, I think they don’t understand Notting Hill Carnival. And if you meddle with Notting Hill Carnival and you don’t understand it, trust me, there’ll be huge repercussions. It’s not something which you can get wrong”.

Sadiq Khan is yet to comment.



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