Praying For Rain

By Clive Wakely. Farmers, earlier this year, were praying for rain – the Metropolitan Police, if the stories are to be believed, are now doing exactly the same.

However whereas Britain’s farmers, faced with one of the driest springs on record, were desperate for a downpour to help their crops along – London’s Police are apparently desperate for rain for an entirely different reason.

To be precise – an intense, wet, cyclonic depression over the Notting Hill area this coming August bank holiday weekend would be just the ticket; a prolonged deluge of biblical proportions, one absolutely worth its weight in (riot) policemen.

The problem is, you see, that even the dullest of dullards at Scotland Yard have noticed a trend developing in relation to the Notting Hill “Carnival” (arguably Europe’s largest crime-fest) – a trend that Joe Public has been aware of for some decades now – as the following selection of media snippets from more recent years indicate.

2010

“Figures from the Metropolitan Police showed 230 people were arrested.”

“There were several arrests on Monday night after bottles and other missiles were thrown at officers.”

“In addition to the arrests made by the Met, British Transport Police arrested 53 people.”

“Throughout the carnival, London Ambulance Service staff dealt with 549 casualties, of whom 41 were taken to hospital. The rest were treated for minor injuries.”

“In the four weeks running up to the event more than 100 people were arrested, and large quantities of weapons and drugs taken off the streets.”

2009

“Festivities at the Notting Hill carnival were marred late on Monday evening after it emerged that a 15-year-old had suffered multiple stab wounds and was in a serious condition yesterday.”

“A teenager was found stabbed last night after the Notting Hill Carnival ended with violence and a series of arrests.”

“By 9pm, officers had made a total of 193 arrests on Sunday and Monday, compared with 227 for the same time last year.”

“Among those arrested were the 38 who were detained at Victoria station just after 3pm.”

“A bulletproof vest and a knife were recovered from members of the group who were arrested.”

2008

“The haul of weapons confiscated at the weekend’s Notting Hill carnival included knives, a Taser gun, CS spray and a baseball bat, police said yesterday.”

“Officers patrolling the annual event arrested 330 people and stopped a further 151 potential troublemakers from travelling to west London.”

“The end of the street party on Monday night was marred by battles between police and 40 youths throwing bricks and bottles.”

“For two hours our officers came under attack from bottles, bricks and any debris that was on the ground.”

2007

“There were a total 336 allegations of crime, down from 391 last year, and 206 arrests, down from 214 in 2006.”

“However, what we witnessed from five o’clock that afternoon shows that there was a hardcore, mainly of young men, who came to the carnival not to enjoy the event but to fight, commit crime and cause trouble.”

“Two young men were shot, fortunately not seriously injured, and a small number of people suffered minor stab wounds.”

“Armed police have broken up a criminal gang selling weapons to young men intent on fomenting violence at the Notting Hill carnival.

Officers discovered a haul of weapons including CS gas, stun guns and knives.”

Furthermore, five murders are known to have taken place at the Notting Hill Carnival since 1987.

30 August 1987 – Michael Augustine Galvin, 23, stallholder – stabbed.

26 August 1991 – Dr. Nicholas John Hanscomb, 38, bled to death after being stabbed in the thigh.

28 August 2000 – Greg Fitzgerald Watson, 21, stabbed to death after an argument over food.

28 August 2000 – Abdul Munam Bhatti, 28, beaten to death in a racially motivated attack by a group of 40-50 youths.

30 August 2004 – Lee Christopher Surbaran, 27, shot by a gang using a machine pistol for “showing disrespect”.

With around a million people expected to attend this years’ Carnival, which starts in just eleven days time, and in light of recent disturbing events in the Metropolis, one can understand Scotland Yard’s concern.

So if you happen to find yourself in the Capital anytime between now and the start of the August bank holiday and happen to notice police officers looking anxiously skyward, you will at least appreciate the reason for their newfound interest in matters meteorological.