Police have started targeting potential knife thugs before this year's Notting Hill Carnival.

Officers are identifying criminals and troublemakers as part of an operation to keep them away from the festivities. The team will be liaising with units such as Operation Trident - the Met's black-on-black crime team - and Operation Blunt 2 to clamp down on knife crime at the event on 24 and 25 August.

Chief Inspector Jo Edwards said: "We'll be targeting those people we know are planning to go to Carnival simply to commit crime and making sure they can't.

"We will be making use of tactics from last year and putting in place search operations at entry points, making it as hard as possible for people carrying weapons to get in."

Police officers will also be targeting those carrying knives to and from the event on Tubes and buses. About 300,000 people are expected to use the network on the Monday bank holiday to get to and from Notting Hill.

The Territorial Support Group will be visiting homes of those who may cause trouble to deliver letters warning them to stay away.

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