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The Notting Hill Carnival is one of the world's biggest street parties. Many people gathered in London this year for the two-day celebration, with record numbers of police on patrol.
Party-goers filled the streets of London on Sunday for the Notting Hill Carnival, one of the world's biggest street parties. It's an annual two-day celebration of Caribbean culture.
Record numbers of police were on duty, making sure there would be no repeat of the riots that damaged the British capital three weeks ago.
The carnival usually draws about 1 million people, and was underway in a relaxed atmosphere in West London.
The opening "children's day" witnessed crowds lining the streets while trucks paraded along with children in painted faces and flamboyant costumes, waving Jamaican flags and blowing whistles.
The festival is the biggest event in London since riots unleashed on the 6th of August.
Children played steel drums. Loudspeakers pounded out reggae, or African, or Samba music.
Meanwhile, people were sampling dishes like jerk chicken, curried goat, or mutton.
Police kept a low profile. They patrolled in pairs or on bicycles.
55 hundred officers on duty on Sunday, and 65 hundred on Monday, when the main parade takes place.
That's an increase of 500 per day on previous years. Not to mention 4,000 police on standby.
In the past, the carnival has been spoiled by shootings, stabbings, drug dealing and high numbers of arrests, but in recent years it has mostly been peaceful.
This year, 35 people were arrested by police in a pre-carnival crackdown on known troublemakers.
The Notting Hill event was first held in London in 1964, inspired by Trinidad's carnival.
It has grown into one of the world's biggest parties and generates tens of millions of pounds for London's economy.
