Christopher BarrettThe organisers of the Notting Hill Carnival said the future of the event is at risk without further government funding.
In a letter to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy requesting the funding, Carnival chair Ian Comfort wrote that it was “essential to safeguarding the future and public safety of this iconic event”.
According to the BBC, Comfort’s letter follows a review of the event that he said identified “critical public safety concerns” that require extra funding to address. He said, “Limited resourcing has restricted the police service’s ability to respond to growing operational pressures.”
Comfort also suggested that additional investment in stewarding and crowd management was essential to allow the police to focus on their primary role of crime prevention and public protection.
He said that if immediate additional funding was not forthcoming it would risk “compromising public safety and jeopardising the future of the carnival”.
Due to take place on 23-25 August this year, the Notting Hill Carnival usually attracts around 2 million people.
In April, The London Assembly Police and Crime Committee called on the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to commission a review of crowd density and safety at the Notting Hill Carnival.
As chair of the Carnival Village Trust, Comfort works closely with a team overseen by CEO Matthew Philip. Carnival funding and security are among the many topics he discusses in his AAA Backstage podcast interview, available to watch below.