Notting Hill Carnival could fall victim to a Hillsborough-scale “mass casualty event”, Sadiq Khan has been warned.
The August bank holiday festival, which has been described as a “unique celebration of Caribbean culture”, attracts about two million people every year.
However, the volume of people at the celebration creates “a complex policing challenge”, with Met Police officers worried that safety could be compromised.
A police and crime committee led by Susan Hall found that there had been “a number of incredibly worrying incidents with crowd density” at the west London carnival.
Matt Twist, a Met assistant commissioner with responsibility for frontline policing, said that crowd density was “probably the most concerning element” of the event.
Speaking to The Times, 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 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.”
The committee said Khan should review the concerns about crowd safety at the carnival and implement strict guidance for the number of stewards required.
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A spokesperson for the Mayor said: “Notting Hill Carnival burst onto 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.”
The organiser of the event, Notting Hill Carnival Ltd, which is responsible for providing stewarding for the event, said they are currently reviewing the report.
A Met Police spokesperson also welcomed the review. They 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.”
Last year, two people were killed during the festival. Cher Maximen, 32, was fatally stabbed in front of her daughter on ‘Family Day’, while a Dubai-based chef called Mussie Imnetu, 41, was beaten to death during an altercation.
