NEARLY 100 people were arrested at Notting Hill Carnival yesterday including 12 people for attacks on cops.

The news comes as officers were granted extra powers to stop and search people attending the annual two-day event in West London.

Police said that by 10pm on Sunday officers covering the carnival had arrested 97 people for alleged crimes including possessing offensive weapons, grievous bodily harm and sexual offences.

A section 60 order has been put in place for the area of the carnival and parts of Harrow Road, Scotland Yard said.

The order is in place for 15 hours, from 9am until midnight today.

Notting Hill Carnival gold commander Dave Musker said the order was granted because of "incidents of violence" across London in recent days.

Mr Musker said: I have seen across the capital in the last few days, I have made the decision to authorise this order as an additional preventative measure to prevent serious violence and protect the public.

"The use of this authority will provide reassurance to communities that we are constantly working to keep them safe, and will continually adapt our policing plan to achieve this objective. It will also send a clear message to those intent on committing acts of violence that we will robustly and proactively target them should they attend Notting Hill Carnival.

SECTION 60 IN PLACE

"Section 60s are used tactically to prevent violence across London, and have been used for this purpose on many occasions. I want to assure you that these orders are not used without detailed analysis of intelligence and are only used where appropriate and proportionate.

He added: "I have not made this decision lightly but it is the police's job to ensure the security of all those planning to attend this event."

"I will personally keep this order under constant review, and when I believe this no longer forms part of a proportionate policing plan, it will cease."

A dozen people were detained on suspicion of assaulting police, 41 on drugs offences and nine on possession of an offensive weapon.

Among the 97 arrested were ten on alleged public order offences, three on suspicion of sexual offences, two on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and three on actual bodily harm and assault.

Another 41 people were arrested for drug offences.

Scotland Yard said 11 officers had been injured and needed medical attention.

Carnival-goers have also been warned to stay safe in the record-breaking bank holiday heat.

Several revellers were treated for dehydration as temperatures soared to between 32C and 33C – thought to be the hottest Notting Hill Carnival ever – as the annual celebration opened on Sunday.

In August this year PC Stuart Outten was dubbed Britain's hardest copper after he tasered a man who had slashed his face with a machete in Leyton, East London.

PC Gareth Phillips suffered a shattered pelvis after he was mowed down by a hijacked patrol car in a separate incident in Moseley, Birmingham on August 10.

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