ReutersOne hundred people have been arrested and dozens of weapons seized ahead of this weekend’s Notting Hill Carnival, the Metropolitan Police has said.
The arrests, which led to 21 people being recalled to prison, are “intended to disrupt and deter those who the police have reason to believe pose the greatest risk to public safety at carnival”, Scotland Yard said.
As part of the operation, officers seized 11 firearms and more than 40 knives with 266 people being given police bail or probation licence conditions not to come to carnival this year.
Cmdr Charmain Brenyah said the arrests would act as “a significant deterrent” for those wanting to “engage in violence and other criminality”.
Millions of people are expected at Europe’s largest street party which runs from Saturday to Monday.
Cmdr Brenyah said: “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.”
She added: “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.”
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