Heavy police presence at Notting Hill Carnival in wake of recent riots

Описание: (28 Aug 2011)
1. Carnival dancers with oversized flowers on parade, AUDIO: music
2. Various of carnival dancers in red costumes on parade
3. Musical float with steel band passing
4. Drummer on float
5. Large group of police officers walking in street
6. Two police officers on horseback
7. Group of police officers walking past electronic street sign reading (English) "Carnival 2011"
8. Various of boarded-up shops
9. Food vendor squeezing barbecue sauce on grill
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Samuel, Food vendor:
"Yeah, well, security is fine this year because we have a lot more of police on the road, it''s better for the community."
11. Cutaway of hot coals
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Sharon, Food vendor:
"We just come here to have fun and hope that the police catch the criminals."
13. Various of Metropolitan Police command centre
14. Various of screen showing various images from CCTV of carnival streets
15. Group of police walking in street
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Anna Dora, Danish tourist.
"I think England is a very safe country to walk in and at this time there are more police than any other people."
17. Various of crowd and police along side of road waiting for carnival to pass
18. Various of carnival dancers on parade
19. SOUNDBITE (English) Emmanuel-Joseph, Carnival-goer:
"Notting Hill is always going to be there, it''s a cultural thing. Everybody is out here to have a good time. I don''t think it''s going to ruin it, to be honest. I haven''t seen any bad vibes, so yeah, it''s going great so far."
20. Various of carnival musicians on parade
STORYLINE:
British police were deployed on the streets of London during the Notting Hill Carnival on Sunday, mingling among Calypso dancers and steel-drum bands after intelligence suggested gangs wanted to create trouble there.
Launched in 1964, the annual celebration of Caribbean culture has grown into a major street event and typically attracts about 1 (m) million people.
It is billed as Europe''s largest street festival, attracting people to its parades, rows of jerk chicken vendors, and thumping sound-stages set up throughout the leafy west London neighbourhood.
This year there will be 5,500 officers on duty on Sunday and 6,500 on Monday, the main day of the carnival - more than the number on duty for the royal wedding earlier this year.
The move reflects a city - and police force - still on edge after four nights of rioting and looting this month left London reeling, amid questions whether the initial police response was adequate.
But some local businesses weren''t taking any chances, shutting up shop ahead of the carnival and boarding up doors and windows.
Yet among nearby food vendors, gearing up for the day, the mood was much more optimistic.
"Yeah, well, security is fine this year because we have a lot more of police on the road," said Samuel, grilling meat on a sizzling barbecue.
Curried goat vendor Sharon was even more forthright. "We just come here to have fun and hope that the police catch the criminals," she said.
As well as numbers on the ground, officers from the Metropolitan Police are monitoring CCTV footage from a command centre in the capital, hoping to spot trouble before it starts.
Police have already arrested 40 people in raids before the start of the festival.
Public drunkenness and disorder at the event usually prompt a few hundred arrests each year.
The visible police presence certainly appeared to have reassure tourist Anna Dora from Denmark, attending the carnival with her family.
Despite that curtailment and the heavy police presence, carnival-goer Emmanuel-Joseph said the atmosphere was good.

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