Police have arrested 100 people and taken dozens of weapons off the streets in a major operation ahead of this weekend’s Notting Hill Carnival.
The Met said the arrests, which have resulted in 21 people being recalled to prison, are intended to disrupt and deter people posing the greatest risk to public safety at the event - expected to be attended by around one million people.
As part of the operation, officers seized 11 firearms and more than 40 knives. Some 266 people now either have police bail or probation licence conditions not to come to Carnival this year.
It comes after a string of horrific attacks at Notting Hill Carnival in recent years.
In 2024, Cher Maximen, 32, was stabbed with a zombie knife in front of her three-year-old daughter when a fight between a group of men broke out next to her. She died six days later.
Shakeil Thibou, 20, from Kensington, was sentenced to life for her murder with an order to serve a minimum term of 29 years.
A day after Mr Maximen’s attack, acclaimed chef Mussie Imnetu was beaten and left for dead during a row outside a restaurant in Queensway.
Self-proclaimed “monster” Omar Wilson, 31, was found guilty of murder in February 2025 and subsequently jailed for life, with a minimum term of 18 years.
In 2022, Takayo Nembhard, 21, died from a fatal stab wound suffered while he was at Notting Hill Carnival. His killer has yet to be caught.
Commander Charmain Brenyah, the Met’s spokesperson for Carnival, said police carried out a series of intelligence-led interventions aimed at minimising the risk to members of the public.
She said: “We expect around one million people to be on the streets of west London for what is one of the most significant weekends in the capital’s cultural calendar.
“The vast majority come to have fun and enjoy themselves, to celebrate Caribbean culture, to dance, to eat and to go home with nothing but good memories.
“Regrettably we know a minority come with less positive intentions and in recent years this has played out in the form of serious violence including three tragic incidents where lives have been taken.
“The actions of this minority are totally at odds with the values of those who care passionately about Carnival and we acknowledge those, including the event organisers, who have stood up to condemn violence and serious criminality in the run up to this weekend.
“Our policing plan makes tackling serious violence a priority which is why we’ve carried out intelligence-led interventions against those groups and individuals who we have reason to believe pose the greatest risk to the safety of other Carnival-goers.
“We hope that this police activity will be a significant deterrent for those who otherwise might have been planning to come and engage in violence and other criminality.
“During the event, we will have officers deployed in significant numbers to deal with incidents and where possible, to intervene before they happen.
“They will be aided by technology including a network of CCTV cameras, screening arches and live facial recognition cameras deployed on the routes to and from Carnival.
“We are also considering the use of additional search powers to take dangerous weapons off the streets.”
Met officers will be supported during the operation by officers from the City of London Police. They will also be working in close partnership with the other emergency services and with the British Transport Police, whose officers will be working to ensure Carnival-goers get safely to and from the event.
Superintendent Dominique Ioannou, of the BTP, said: “It’s set to be another busy Carnival weekend and our officers and staff play a unique role in keeping people safe as they travel in and around the capital.
"There’ll be an enhanced presence of uniformed and plain clothes officers out and about across London's tube and railway network, and we’ll be working closely with the Met as part of the overall policing operation to ensure everyone can enjoy the celebrations safely.
“We want Carnival-goers to have a great weekend, celebrate responsibly and respect others while using the rail network. If you have any concerns, or see anything suspicious, please report it to us by texting 61016, or speaking to a police officer.”
