Cops arrest 315 on final day of iconic Notting Hill Carnival as police probe knife crimes and licence breaches

POLICE have arrested 351 people on Notting Hill Carnival’s final day as the party comes to a close after millions flocked to the streets. The arrests were related to several offences including possession of a handgun and sexual offender licence breaches. Nearly two million people appeared for the celebration over the two days Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Police measures were increased in the area Credit: Alamy Live News. This brings the total number of arrests over the celebration to 560. The annual west London carnival is Europe’s biggest street party and billed by organisers as “the greatest community-led event on the planet”. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! It attracts an estimated two million people every year. However, a large celebration can sometimes bring chaos, as police reveal the number of arrests made at the celebration’s closing day. 560 arrests were made over the two days Credit: Alamy Live News. Carnival is typically a time of celebration, music and dance Credit: Alamy Cops claim that 48 of the arrests were down to live facial recognition. Cameras also allowed police to track down 43 sexual offenders to ensure they were complying with license conditions. The Met Police claim arrests may increase as the evening goes on. Tragically, one man lost his life entering a canal during the celebration. Most read in The Sun It is understood the individual, believed to be in his 20s, fled from police on foot at around 3pm. Not long after he entered the water where officers and paramedics pulled him out. Despite the best efforts of emergency services, the man later died in hospital. Earlier this week, the force said more than 7,000 officers would be deployed to west London over the bank holiday weekend. The carnival includes parades, live music, street food and sound stages and is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. But while officers responded to a number of incidents, they said “the mood has been overwhelmingly positive and celebratory”. Yesterday’s opening celebration saw a total of 243 arrests, including drugs and sexual offences, and two knife attacks. In 2025, the Met said it made 528 arrests across the two main days of the carnival, including 167 for drug offences, 50 for possession of an offensive weapon, 21 for sexual offences, four for violence with injury and 49 for other violence. In 2024, there were eight stabbings, including the murder of 32-year-old mother Cher Maximen, with the same number the previous year, and seven including a murder in 2022. The festival, which first took place in 1966, got off to a colourful start yesterday as partygoers filled the streets. Things kicked off with J’ouvert, the tradition of throwing paint to welcome in the morning on the first day of the carnival. The opening day, also known as Family Day, saw thousands of revellers celebrating the event’s 60th anniversary. A spokesperson for Notting Hill Carnival Limited said: “Notting Hill Carnival 2026 has been a fantastic celebration of the 60th anniversary of an iconic event. Tens of thousands of performers have lit up the streets of London and made us all proud, while honouring the pioneers of this incredible legacy. “Carnival is constantly evolving and as we continue to take further responsibility for crowd and wider event management, we are pleased that the success of the operation allows our partners to concentrate on their core purpose. “Often the number of arrests at Carnival is a focus and it should be understood that this is a tiny proportion of the up to 2 million attendees a year. “Notting Hill Carnival is a victim of crime too, it does not cause it and we thank our partners for their vital work in making sure the overwhelming majority can revel in the joy of our great event.”