100 arrested, dozens of weapons seized ahead of Notting Hill Carnival in London

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) – Police have arrested 100 people and seized dozens of weapons ahead of London's Notting Hill Carnival, Europe's largest street party, which takes place this weekend, said an official statement on Friday.

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement that officers arrested 100 people and removed dozens of weapons from the streets "as part of an operation to ensure the safety" of everyone attending the Notting Hill Carnival this weekend.

"The arrests, which have resulted in 21 people being recalled to prison, are intended to disrupt and deter those who the police have reason to believe pose the greatest risk to public safety at Carnival," it read.

As part of the operation, police seized 11 firearms and more than 40 knives, and approximately 266 people are now under police bail or probation license conditions not to attend Carnival this year.

Charmain Brenyah, the Metropolitan Police spokesperson for Carnival, said: We expect around one million people to be on the streets of west London for what is one of the most significant weekends in the capital’s cultural calendar."

Last year, three people were stabbed at the festival, including Cher Maximen, 32, who was killed with a zombie knife in front of her three-year-old daughter.