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Early start for Notting Hill Carnival to cut noise and violence
31.07.09
Organisers of the Notting Hill Carnival have finally agreed to an earlier starting time to avoid a repeat of last year's rioting.
Police and councils had threatened to refuse permission for the festival on 30 and 31 August unless strict new measures were introduced to reduce noise and violence.
They have insisted that the carnival begins at 9am and the last float is judged at 6.30pm so that the parade will have left the road by nightfall. Last year 50 police were injured in violence, with mobs throwing bricks and bottles while following a late-running float.
Organisers will also be forced to turn down the music after noise levels breached 140 decibels last year.
Council chiefs at Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea have cut the number of parade vehicles allowed.
Police will patrol the entrances to the three-mile route around Westbourne Grove, Ladbroke Grove and Kensal Road to search revellers for weapons.
Chris Boothman, the carnival's lead director, said: “To ensure that the floats get round the route in good time we agreed with Kensington and Chelsea Council that this year's event should start at 9am. We are committed to delivering a safe and enjoyable carnival for everyone.”
Met Chief Inspector Jo Edwards said that despite the riots, last year's policing of the event had been relatively successful. She added: “Given the huge number of people who take part in carnival, crime rates are low, and our policing style last year made sure that fewer people were a victim of crime.”
Reader views (14)
For the past two days, I have virtually been a prisoner in my own home. I have two choices; stay put and try and defend my home against the constant barrage of urine, abuse and litter - or leave, and return to find my house submerged in piss. The council (in my case, Brent) needs to provide more portaloos and enforcement of public order abuses need to be actioned by the council and the police.
Perhaps offenders can be rounded up, supplied with a mop and bucket and bleach and get cleaning!
How many gallons of urine will it take until someone puts a stop to this?
- Jonny, kensal green
i have lived by the carnival all my life and now admit that i do go away at carnival time...i love all the floats and the carnival outfits which are fantastic, and i love the steel bands but i find that more and more of the floats just play music as loud as they can with ****e speakers that sound as if theyre about to blow up - and almost drown out the steel bands - they dont dress up just make a filthy noise, same goes for all the sound systems. Most people who live here and leave the area do so not because of the carnival floats but because of the incessant noise of the sound systems, human crap in every garden,people pissing against every wall, rubbish everywhere, and the attitude (as indicated by some of the comments posted here ) of the some of the people who come to Carnival to defend their right to come to another area and behave as badly as they like for 2 days. You want to behave like that? We'd rather not watch. Have fun and do TRY to use the lavatories ...
- Henrietta, london
You people need to get a clue... I've been going carnival every year for the past 6 years... I've seen the police out number the people... What you people sitting at home typing on your computer for it's end don't see is how thepolice handle not only the black but white youths and the way in which they provoke these youths to wrath... I am not saying that there aren't a few idiots causing trouble however there are a lot of factors which contribute to the carnival not being safe... And as to the person who says there friends leave the country because of the problem and it is causing them a lot of money all you have to do is go and stay in a travel inn which is as far away as you can get... Stop campaigning for Carnivals end because I can promise it will cause more trouble than good... For the Children who takes part its something that gets them off the streets and keep them occupied for the whole year so unless you want more children on your streets the whole yea round just SHUT UP and try to help come up with ideas to help it to be more safer... And as for the police all I can say is they get what they provoke (not all)
- Michelle, London
How will this help??? I live near the route and every year is the same thing, its not going to change because simply earlier................ just BAN it if its causing too much problems......... it used to be something nice, now its just a joke.
- Jasmin D, London
This may not even help,,i mean there are always some idiots looking to cause trouble b-coz they get carried away.
- Missy, london
carnival was as far as i remember was made to celebrate black and asian cultar in the uk...when i went, people just had nothing but love in their heart's, and spicey food in their belly's and the ryhmic sound of the seelband ringing in your ear's. it seemed to have a way of leaving you with a feeling of what the caribean felt like, we like music(loud), we like spicy food, we like a good drink and some like to smoke, even the police could'nt help but have a goodtime, so it was all good. but then gang's of teen started trying to make a name for themself, so then carnival went bad and started to need more police, to the point were at today and i can understand why so many people dont like it, but we should'nt let a small band of folk bring an end to something that britian is built on it's multicultaral sociatie.
- Andy P, london e9
I went there once, over 20 years ago, and the music was so loud that I could not bare.I would not go there for all the tea in China.If there is trouble there this time ,then it would be time to ban the Carnival for good.
- Surj, london
I know some friends who live there that go away on holiday during the Carnival because of the associated trouble that, sadly, comes with the event
- Kev, Milton Keynes
Enough is Enough, Stop the Carnival!
Every year there is trouble, the residents in the area have to take cover, and clear up the mess etc left by the revellers.
I'm glad I don't live in the vicinity.
- Mrs, London UK
Ahh, its that time of year already as the Notting Hill Crime Festival is back once again. Lets see how many people are mugged and robbed this year, as well as the gang members themselves being stabbed and / or killed by each other. Would not go down in to that slum fest if i was paid to.
- Dirk Diggler, Soho, London
It won't make a difference, it won't stop everyone drinking copious amounts of brandy and other spirits all day getting drunk. When their entertainment is turned off...drink leads to anger and the men in blue (or should that be yellow)have the heavy bottles thrown at them - daylight or night time!!!
Ban the carnival or put it in Hyde Park (I knew Ken Livingston had some good ideas in him!)
- Jh, London
You have to ask do the benefits out weigh the costs? Unfortunately here is another event destroyed by a certain elements that infect London.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
Same old blurb from the police manager. Same thing every year and the truth of the appallingly high crime figures spun and spun. Every year as the sun goes down the atmosphere changes for the worse and the streets are never clear until well after midnight. The floats are normally off the street by sundown But there is always one or two sound systems that push the officials to the limit. Then the idiots who've been drinking and puffing all day come out to play. SNAFU & FUBAR.
- Ranter, Maidstone, UK
Will it help though?The majority of the people that go there don't get out of bed before lunchtime.
- Steve, London
