A man was stabbed and seriously injured today during London's Notting Hill Carnival, police said.
The man, aged in his 20s, was assaulted as he stood in Portobello Road, parallel to the main street being used for the festival parade.
"His injuries are believed to be serious," the police said, adding that he had been taken to hospital.
They said no-one had been arrested over the incident.
This year's Notting Hill Carnival was expected to gather more than two million people, making the event held in London's west Europe's biggest street party.
Violence and crime have often dogged the carnival. Last year, there were two fatalities, one from a stabbing and one from a beating, and 19 people were wounded in stabbing incidents.
A record STG £4 million pounds (6.4 million euros) was spent on security this year, with 10,000 police officers, some with metal detectors, deployed to keep carnival-goers in line.
Scotland Yard today justified the expense saying it was necessary ensure the police had proper resources.
Following the violence that marred last year's carnival, when two people were murdered and several assaulted, security has been raised to unprecedented levels. Only six people were arrested on the festival's opening day.
AFP