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Notting Hill Carnival Sees Record 636 Arrests as Police Expand Facial Recognition and Stop‑Search

Expanded stop‑and‑search and live facial recognition produced a revised record of 636 arrests, raising questions about public costs, civil liberties and an IOPC probe into a fatal canal incident.

Overview

  • Scotland Yard released revised figures showing 636 people were arrested over the two‑day bank holiday weekend, with police reporting 242 arrests on Sunday and 394 on Monday.
  • The Met deployed more than 7,000 officers, about 3,000 stewards paid for by an extra City Hall grant, metal‑detector arches and a widespread Section 60 stop‑and‑search order to manage the 60th‑anniversary crowds.
  • Live facial recognition generated roughly 214 alerts and led to 121 arrests while officers stopped and spoke to dozens of registered sex offenders, with several found breaching licence conditions.
  • Police seized dozens of weapons, including a handgun, and responded to multiple knife incidents and a van fire, though the force said most injuries were not life‑threatening and the overall atmosphere remained celebratory.
  • The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating a man’s death after he entered a canal while being pursued by officers, a development that has intensified scrutiny of policing tactics, costs and stewarding arrangements.