Police carry out dawn raids ahead of Notting Hill Carnival

Forty arrests across London as Met adopts ‘robust’ strategy to avoid trouble at bank holiday event in the capital Scotland Yard has staged a series of dawn swoops in a pre-emptive strike to avoid trouble at this year’s Notting Hill Carnival . A total of 40 suspects have been arrested in raids across the capital during preparations for the force’s biggest policing presence at the event. The Metropolitan police launched a “robust” carnival strategy as intelligence suggested gangs are planning trouble. A team of armoured officers descended on one leafy terraced street in west London to arrest an 18-year-old suspected drug dealer as officers executed five warrants on Wednesday morning. Record numbers of police officers will be on duty across the capital during the Notting Hill carnival, Scotland Yard has said. The event, which attracts crowds of 1 million people, is taking place this year in “unusual and exceptional” circumstances, said Commander Steve Rodhouse of the Metropolitan police, referring to riots across England earlier this month. Rodhouse, the Met’s spokesman for the arnival, confirmed there would be around 16,000 officers on duty throughout the bank holiday weekend across the capital. The Met is continuing to receive help from outside forces to maintain policenumbers. The number of officers on duty at the carnival on Sunday and Monday will be more than ever before. In addition, it is understood police will use Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, which gives officers powers to stop and search individuals in a designated area without reasonable suspicion they are about to commit an offence. On Sunday, 5,500 police will be on the streets for the children’s carnival. On bank holiday Monday, which attracts the biggest crowds, 6,500 police will be on duty, Rodhouse said. A reserve of 4,000 additional officers will be available across London to cope with any disturbances in other areas. They will also be complemented by the usual number of borough officers on duty, maintaining the total available at 16,000. Rodhouse said there was some intelligence from social networking sites and elsewhere that gangs were intent on causing trouble during the carnival. But this was not on a different scale to previous years and there was no intelligence to suggest gangs of looters were going to target the event, he added. “Some people believe that we will be diverted from the rest of London due to the carnival, leaving the rest of London without a police presence. This is not the case,” said Rodhouse. “To those who want to come and corrupt this magnificent event I would say you are not welcome. The Metropolitan police will do everything in our power to make it as hard as possible for you.” Carnival organisers have decided the street party will start and finish earlier this year to avoid any potential trouble as darkness falls. Chris Boothman, director of the Notting Hill Carnival Ltd, said he supported the policing plans. He said the aim was to finish the parade at 6.30pm so the area would start to be cleared after 7pm. Pubs and other venues around Notting Hill have been asked to close at 9pm and Rodhouse said there had been a positive response. Notting Hill carnival Metropolitan police Police UK riots London Sandra Laville guardian.co.uk

Posted by on August 24, 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.