News

Rain fails to dampen Notting Hill spirits

Crowds brave the rain as the watch the Bank Holiday Monday parade at the Notting Hill Carnival 2015 parade, in west London. Picture John Stillwell/PA Wire
Crowds brave the rain as the watch the Bank Holiday Monday parade at the Notting Hill Carnival 2015 parade, in west London. Picture John Stillwell/PA Wire Crowds brave the rain as the watch the Bank Holiday Monday parade at the Notting Hill Carnival 2015 parade, in west London. Picture John Stillwell/PA Wire

(see also WEATHER Rain)

Hundreds of thousands of revellers have partied at the soggy finale of the Notting Hill Carnival.

Carnival-goers wearing ponchos and clutching umbrellas filled the streets of west London for the last day of the festivities.

Dozens of colourful floats packed with exotic carnival dancers, steel bands and other musicians took part in the three-mile (5km) parade, blaring horns and blowing whistles.

Performers donned feathered headdresses and sequinned costumes as they danced their way through the streets.

There was a party atmosphere despite heavy showers and localised flooding after almost an inch (25mm) of rain - around half an average month's worth - fell in the capital.

It is estimated around one million people attended the two-day celebration of Caribbean culture, Europe's biggest street party.

Three 18-year-old males, from west London, were arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm after a 19-year-old was stabbed.

The victim, 19, made his way to a London Ambulance Service treatment centre in Treverton Street at around 1pm on Monday and was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. He is in a stable condition.

Police made more than 290 arrests for assault, criminal damage, public order offences, possession of weapons, theft, sexual offences and drugs-related offences.

A total of 126 people were arrested on Sunday and another 166 had been taken off the streets by 6.30pm on Monday.

There was a significant police presence at the annual event, with thousands of officers on the ground and a helicopter patrolling from the sky.

People could be seen inhaling nitrous oxide, known as "hippy crack", from balloons and discarded gas canisters littered the streets.

The chemical, which is also known as laughing gas and has several legitimate uses, has been the subject of controversy as a party drug which can cause hallucinations and even death.

Police said officers on patrol seized 350 canisters of nitrous oxide from a sound system in Ledbury Road, Notting Hill.

They also confiscated around £30,000 of counterfeit alcohol, including spirits, champagne, beer, cider, and rum punch, on the corner of Ladbroke Grove and Elgin Crescent.

Counterfeit or "over-proof" alcohol usually contains more than 50% alcohol volume.

Earlier this week dozens of people were arrested in dawn raids against potential troublemakers ahead of the carnival.

London Ambulance Service has been live tweeting from the festival and says it has been treating a lot of people for drinking too much alcohol, injuries from falling over and also had to remove glass from a person's foot.

ends