A man has died after entering a canal near Notting Hill Carnival as police confirmed 560 arrests and the seizure of 62 weapons across the two main days of the event.
The Metropolitan Police issued its latest update at 8.48pm on Monday, 31 August as the 60th anniversary Carnival drew to a close in west London.
Police said 315 arrests had been made on Monday, taking the total across Sunday and Monday to 560.
The force warned that the figure could rise slightly as further arrests are processed, with a confirmed final total expected on Tuesday morning.
Stop-and-search powers were used extensively throughout the event and officers seized 62 weapons across the two days.
The haul included a handgun recovered during Monday afternoon.
Despite the large number of arrests, police said serious violence at the event was lower than in some previous years.
There were two assaults involving knives – one stabbing and one slashing – but neither resulted in injuries considered life-threatening.
Live facial recognition technology also played a significant role in the policing operation.
The Met said 48 of Monday’s arrests followed identifications made using live facial recognition.
The technology also enabled officers to stop 43 registered sex offenders to check whether they were complying with licence conditions.
Three were arrested for alleged breaches of those conditions on Monday, in addition to three arrests for alleged breaches on Sunday.
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The policing operation was overshadowed by the death of a man near the event on Monday afternoon.
According to the Metropolitan Police, officers working as part of the Carnival operation attempted to stop a man believed to be in his 20s at around 3.19pm in the Harrow Road area as he approached the event.
Police said the man ran away on foot with officers in pursuit.
A short time later he entered the canal near Meanwhile Gardens.
Officers and members of the public entered the water and pulled him out.
Police said it quickly became apparent that he required medical attention and officers immediately began CPR.
Paramedics continued treating the man at the canalside before taking him by ambulance to a central London hospital.
Despite the efforts of emergency services, he was pronounced dead at 4.43pm.
Police were working urgently on Monday evening to identify and inform his next of kin.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that because the death followed contact with police, the matter will be passed to the Independent Office for Police Conduct so the circumstances can be independently investigated.
No conclusion should be drawn at this stage about the actions of the officers involved or the circumstances that led to the man’s death.
More than 7,000 police officers were deployed across west London during the Bank Holiday weekend for the Carnival policing operation.
Commander Claire Smart said this was the second consecutive year in which police had seen a marked reduction in the prevalence of serious violence at Carnival.
The Met said most attendees had left the area by Monday evening, although officers remained deployed while the final crowds dispersed.
A further confirmed arrest total is expected from police on Tuesday morning.
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Sources
Metropolitan Police – Update: Notting Hill Carnival Policing Operation
