Overview

• Carnival Trust chair Ian Comfort wrote to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy requesting urgent direct government funding to address critical safety concerns flagged by an April review.
• An independent safety review identified “critical public safety concerns” after last year’s event recorded two deaths, eight stabbings and widespread crowd density issues.
• Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist and Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley warned that without enhanced stewarding and crowd control, the carnival risks a potential mass casualty event.
• City Hall and two local councils currently provide about £1 million annually for security, but organisers say a lack of additional support is making it too late to secure private event management firms.
• Phase one of the review recommended immediate improvements in stewarding and crowd management, with phase two due to propose longer-term safety enhancements over the next two to five years.