Police seize 16 knives and make 126 arrests

POLICE made 126 arrests at the Notting Hill Carnival yesterday – and seized 16 knives.

They held 20 revellers in total for possessing offensive weapons.

Other offences included eight assaults on police and three common assaults.

The weapons tally came as knife detection arches were being used at the carnival for the first time. Police at the festival, which continues today, were yesterday allowed to indiscriminately stop and search people. The controversial Section 60 order was given the go-ahead by police chiefs partly due to a recent spike in violence across London.

But critics say the powers, which allow officers to stop and search people without reasonable suspicion, lead to the disproportionate targeting of African-Caribbeans.

The tactic is used if it is believed that ‘incidents involving serious violence may take place’. Commander Dave Musker, who is in charge of the policing operation at the west London carnival, said: ‘Given the intelligence picture and incidents of violence I have seen across the city over the last week, I have made the decision to authorise this order as an additional preventative measure.’

More than 6,000 officers were on duty yesterday – with nearly ,000 today.