A former Scotland Yard detective has branded Notting Hill Carnival as the “ultimate show of two-tier policing” and called for the event to be relocated to Hyde Park.
Speaking on GB News, Mike Neville said the annual celebration becomes a “hellhole” during festivities.
“If this was a white, working class event, it would have been banned two decades ago,” he told presenter Martin Daubney.
His comments come as a new Metropolitan Police survey reveals widespread safety concerns among officers working at the event.
Mike Neville says Notting Hill becomes a ‘hellhole’ during the celebrations
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Neville, who previously served as a detective, claimed gang activity was rife at the carnival, saying: “You knew there was lots of gang activity, it wasn’t just people celebrating their culture it was a lot of people settling scores.”
He drew a stark comparison with football policing, stating: “If you don’t believe there’s two-tier policing go to Notting Hill Carnival and behave in a certain way, then do the same thing at Millwall Football Club.”
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Mike Neville joined Martin Daubney on GB News
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“If the same criteria of arrests was used at Notting Hill Carnival as it is at Millwall, there wouldn’t be 300 arrests, there would be 3,000.”
The new Metropolitan Police Federation survey of 486 officers found that 89% did not feel safe working at the carnival, with 29 per cent reporting they had been assaulted.
Officers described the event as “hell” and a “warzone” in their responses.
One unnamed officer said it was “dangerous”, with police being treated as “lambs to slaughter”.
Simon Hill, deputy general secretary of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said he was “shocked” by the candour of officers’ responses about their experiences.
This year’s carnival saw two murders, eight stabbings and 349 arrests, with 61 police officers assaulted during the event.
The carnival’s organisers, Notting Hill Carnival Ltd, dismissed the police survey as “hugely flawed”, saying it represented “at best just seven per cent of potential officers on duty”.
They said the survey was “driven by unsubstantiated quotes and little solid data, designed to create negative headlines”.
The organisers added that they condemn “all acts of violence” but claimed the survey had “an anti-carnival agenda”.
Neville argued that relocating the carnival would improve safety for everyone involved.
“I just think for the good of everyone – it should be moved to Hyde Park, ticketed with knife arches and we check people for drugs so everyone can dress up in the wonderful costumes,” he said.
The Metropolitan Police’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward supported the need for change, saying there was an “unacceptable level of crime” and a “step change” was needed to prevent overcrowding.
