Notting Hill carnival risks ‘a repeat of Hillsborough’

THE Notting Hill Carnival risks a ‘Hillsborough-scale tragedy’ unless urgent action is taken to protect revellers, a report warns.

Officials said the £8million event, which brings more than a million people on to West London streets every August, is at ‘tipping point’.

Police fear the sheer weight of numbers could trigger a major disaster like that at Sheffield’s Hillsborough stadium in 1989, when 96 people were crushed to death.

The deeply worrying findings were laid bare in a report by politicians on London City Hall’s police and crime committee.

Giving evidence to the committee, Metropolitan Police Commander Dave Musker said last year’s police footage showed officers diving into surging crowds to rescue children and distressed people. He said: ‘Each year, and last year was no exception, we came exceptionally close to a major catastrophic failure of public safety where the public would face serious injury.’

The senior officer added: ‘I can think of Hillsborough ... and other public events where those failures have caused substantial numbers of deaths.’ Sophie Linden, London’s deputy mayor responsible for policing, said a study was under way to identify safety measures.