Notting Hill Carnival at risk of ‘mass casualty event’ due to crowd control problems

Attendees at Notting Hill Carnival are at risk of being caught up in a potentially fatal crowd crush, a new report has warned

The August Bank Holiday event sees about two million people flock to the streets of west London.

But the Metropolitan Police has raised concerns about the possibility of a “mass casualty event” at the celebration, after officers reported instances of dangerous crowd density last year.

The force’s warning formed part of a report by the London Assembly’s police and crime committee, focused on events that need public order policing such as football matches, protests and carnival.

It found there was an increased demand “putting the Met under strain” which has not been matched with in central government funding.

The organiser of the Carnival, Notting Hill Carnival Ltd, is responsible for providing stewarding for the event, and for ensuring crowd safety.

Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist told the committee that at Carnival, the Met has responsibility for “prevention and detection of crime, for keeping the King’s peace and, if necessary, for saving life.”

He highlighted that crowd density was “probably the most concerning element” of the event that he “most worried about”.

“Over the course of Notting Hill Carnival weekend, we had 100 spontaneous crowd incidents which were monitored through the joint cell,” he said.

“In addition to the frequent monitoring of nine key locations that we know are challenging and reporting across all five of the MPS sectors, we did have to step in a number of times in order to reduce the crowd density in order to save life.’

He also recalled an incident where members of the public were being hoisted up on scaffolding to get out of a “really dangerous level of crowd density.”

He added: “While we acknowledge the crime often gets the headlines, the thing that worries me most is the crowd density and the potential for a mass casualty event.”

At last year’s event Cher Maximen, 32, was fatally stabbed in front of her young daughter on “Family Day”.

In another incident, Mussie Imnetu, 41, a Dubai-based chef, was beaten during an altercation after carnival.

Both died of their injuries in hospital and two men have been convicted of their murders. There were also eight non-fatal stabbings reported.

The London Assembly has recommended that Sir Sadiq Khan reviews the concerns about crowd safety at the carnival to inform stewarding requirements.

The report states that this should include a full review of pinch points and strict guidance for the number of stewards required across the carnival. It adds that the finding should be made public at least three months in advance of Carnival 2026.

A spokesperson for the Mayor said: “Notting Hill Carnival burst on to the streets of west London nearly six decades ago and since then, the community-led celebration of Caribbean history and culture has grown to become one of the world’s biggest street festivals and part of the very fabric of our city.

“An independent review is already underway commissioned by the Carnival Organising Committee, with support from City Hall, Met police, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster City Council to ensure Carnival is as safe and enjoyable as possible.”

A spokesperson from Notting Hill Carnival Ltd said: “We were pleased that our partners agreed that an independent review is undertaken regarding the safety and security of Carnival.

“The first stage of this report has been delivered and is being reviewed by our organising partners.”

A Met Police spokesperson said: “The Committee’s report acknowledges the unique public order policing demand placed on the Met given the number of events and protests taking place in London.

“Notting Hill Carnival is a key event on London’s cultural calendar and one which requires the deployment of a very significant number of officers and wider police resources.

“All those involved in delivering and supporting Carnival are committed to ensuring it is as safe and secure as possible. We welcomed the recent commissioning of an independent review and alongside our partners we are considering its initial recommendations.”