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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Lydia Chantler-Hicks

Appeal after female Met Police officer sexually assaulted by two men at Notting Hill Carnival

Police have issued a CCTV appeal after a female police officer was sexually assaulted while working at last year’s Notting Hill Carnival.

The on-duty PC was assaulted by two different people while in a dense crowd slowly making its way along Westbourne Grove, on Monday, August 29, 2022.

Scotland Yard says the suspects took advantage of the busy environment to “sexually assault the officer from behind”.

“Due to the volume of people present, she was unable to identify who was responsible at the time,” it added.

Ten months on and the Met is yet to identify the suspects, despite an “extensive” investigation.

On Tuesday, the force appealed to the public for help as it released CCTV footage of two men officers are keen to trace.

The clip shows the two men moving through a sea of people at the hugely popular carnival, which sees thousands of revellers take to the streets of west London every August.

PC Richard Spears, who worked in the Notting Hill Carnival post-incident team, condemned the “disturbing” assaults.

He said: “Notting Hill Carnival is a vibrant event which sees communities come together to celebrate, and the atmosphere is generally very friendly and welcoming.

“Sadly, the suspects in this incident have used the cover of a dense crowd to sexually assault a female police officer, presumably in the belief they would get away with it.

“Assaults on officers during the course of their duty are unacceptable, and the fact this one is sexual in nature makes it particularly disturbing. We are releasing CCTV footage of two men we would like to speak to as part of our inquiries. Do you recognise them? Please contact us if you can help.”

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