The current levels of local government support are not enough to address safety concerns with the Notting Hill Carnival, a leaked letter from the organiser has warned.
Carnival chair Ian Comfort has written to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy urging the Government to provide funding to safeguard ‘the future and public safety of this iconic event’.
In a letter leaked to the BBC, Mr Comfort said that while the Greater London Authority, Kensington and Chelsea Council and Westminster Council had provided ‘substantial support’ during past festivals, they could no longer meet the carnival’s safety requirements.
He added that increased investment in stewarding and crowd management was ‘now essential to allow the police to focus on their primary role of crime prevention and public protection’.