BTP operation during Notting Hill Carnival

This bank holiday weekend British Transport Police (BTP) implemented one of its largest policing operations as part of the Notting Hill Carnival in London.

Planning for the event has been underway for many months, and we’ve worked closely alongside our partners including the Metropolitan Police and Transport for London to ensure the travelling public could have a safe and enjoyable time.

The policing operation involved an enhanced presence of uniformed officers across the network, supported by officers in plain clothes.

This year we also deployed a dedicated drone team to the Carnival footprint for the first time, who were there to provide our officers with critical situational awareness in the event of any emergency incidents and allow us to respond as effectively as possible, using a suite of high definition optical and thermal cameras to help identify any risks or threats and keep the public safe and the railway moving.

During Carnival officers made the following number of arrests:                     

Sunday 24 August:

13

Monday 25 August:

17  

Arrests have included people arrested for drugs offences, offensive weapons and assault of an emergency worker, with four BTP officers assaulted across the weekend.

Assistant Chief Constable Sean O’Callaghan said: "Our overriding priority over this weekend’s Notting Hill Carnival has been to protect the travelling public and prevent criminality.

“The vast majority of people came together to enjoy the celebration and I am pleased to say the weekend passed without any serious incidents on the railway network.

“I’d like to thank not only our officers for their dedication and hard work throughout the weekend in particularly hot temperatures, but also the many welcoming and supportive members of the public they’ve encountered."