This year’s Notting Hill Carnival was marred by violence, death and carnage.

The Notting Hill Carnival is the second biggest carnival in the world after Brazil’s Rio carnival, attracting over one million people during the bank holiday weekend.

This year saw 50,000 performers and 30 sound systems providing entertainment.

The Notting Hill Carnival is a marque event on the West Indian community social calendar attracting people from around the world.

This year was the first year it was held since 2019 due to the COVID pandemic.

However, this year saw outbreaks of violence with 21-year-old rapper Takayo Nembhard , AKA TKorStretch stabbed to death.

The police found it difficult to contain marauding gangs and drug dealers with 74 officers injured during the weekend holiday event.

This year saw seven people stabbed, with 445 people stopped and searched. The Metropolitan Police arrested 209 people.

The police noted the carnival descended into chaos on the final day with mass outbreaks of violence. Notting Hill Carnival has now become difficult to police with many attendees’ safety in jeopardy.

Roy Ramm, former commander of specialist operations at Scotland Yard, said: “For most people it is safe. We saw a good day on Sunday. Yesterday, for most of the day, it was a safe place and well policed. Police have learned  a great deal over many years about how to police the carnival.

“But there is a time always on the last day it seems that it degenerates. The drug sellers, the gangs, seem to reject the spirit of carnival and take the opportunity to settle scores to mark out territory and bring out the knives.

“It’s a tragedy, a tragedy for the family of the young man who died and a tragedy for the people of Notting Hill. The trouble is these young men, and it’s young men, they want to fight, mark out territory and sell their drugs. They are determined to wreck it in the evening.”

Ken Marsh, chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation, is calling for the carnival to be moved to an enclosed venue where it can be better policed. Some senior officers recommend a private area, perhaps Hyde Park, where it can be better controlled.

“People turn up with knives  and someone has been stabbed to death. There were also a lot of altercations happening between various groups. This cannot be the case year after year and we cannot continue to allow this to happen.

“This needs to be held in a private venue such as Hyde Park where it can be a lot more easily controlled. We have had conversations about moving the carnival to a private venue but the suggestions just get batted away,” said Marsh.

On the last day of the carnival, there were 7,000 police officers ensuring the event would go smoothly.

Some say more officers are needed and that the community must play a bigger role in preventing violence and uncivil behaviour.

The Notting Hill Carnival has taken place since 1966 and replicates the carnivals that happen across the Caribbean. In years gone by it was peaceful and celebratory but has now descended into mayhem and disorder with revellers getting injured and attacked.

Of the Notting Hill Carnival, Sarah Vine wrote: “The Notting Hill Carnival is no more a celebration of Caribbean culture than Katie Price is a vestal virgin. The event is little more than an excuse for drug dealers, thugs and other assorted criminals to go on the rampage.”