Notting Hill carnival: 16-year-old arrested after stabbing

Youth becomes fifth person to be arrested in connection with stabbing at the west London festival A 16-year-old youth has been arrested in west London on suspicion of assault following the stabbing of a 20-year-old man at the Notting Hill carnival, police said. Three men aged 20 and one 21-year-old have already been arrested and are in custody at various police stations in London in connection with the incident, which happened towards the end of the two-day festival. The victim, whose condition is described as serious but stable, was found with stab wounds to the stomach and hand in Ladbroke Grove after 6pm on Monday and taken to a central London hospital. The stabbing was one of only a small number of isolated incidents to mar Europe’s biggest street festival amid an unprecedented security operation following the riots in London and other cities earlier this month. More than 6,500 police officers, a record number, patrolled the carnival streets on Monday, up from 5,500 on Sunday. A total of 245 people were arrested during the carnival weekend, up slightly on 243 last year. Police had targeted potential troublemakers making more than 40 pre-emptive arrests last week, and agreed an earlier finish time of 7pm for both days. The London mayor, Boris Johnson, said during a visit to the carnival it was right to allow the festivities despite worries about street violence following the riots. “I thought it was very important that we should go ahead. Obviously there was quite a few people who wrote to me saying ‘for heaven’s sake, scrap it’. But we said ‘no, that would be wrong, because that would be an admission of defeat, if you like, after what happened earlier in the month’.” Police put in place a Section 60 order, which allows them to search individuals to prevent serious violence, and a Section 60 AA order, giving officers the power to require any person to remove items that conceal their identity. London Ambulance service treated a total of 494 carnival goers over the weekend, with 59 requiring hospital treatment. Last year, 706 people received medical treatment with 117 taken to hospital. Anyone who witnessed the stabbing incident or has information that may assist police is asked to call the incident room on 020 8246 9386, or speak anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crime Notting Hill carnival Festivals Knife crime Caroline Davies guardian.co.uk

Posted by on August 30, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.