Two million expected at carnival

The carnival is well known for its colourful costumes

Two million people are expected to descend on west London this weekend for the biggest street festival in Europe.

The 36th annual Notting Hill Carnival will feature more than 75 costume bands and two live stages.

It is regarded as an exotic and intoxicating festival

The event - famous for its colourful floats and costumes - officially begins with the children's carnival at 1200BST on Sunday and continues with the adult carnival on Monday.

While police estimate that one million people will join the festivities, the organisers believe numbers will top two million over the weekend.

Last year's event was blessed with fine weather, but the forecast for this Bank Holiday weekend is not so bright.

Thundery showers are predicted for Saturday and Sunday. Monday though is likely to be sunny.

Crime and violence

Previous festivals have been marred by crime and violence.

Last year, a 17-year-old youth was shot in the stomach at one of the many sound systems and two men were wounded in stabbings.

At least 2 million people are expected to attend this year

A total of 218 crimes were recorded for the two days, including 16 robberies, four sexual assaults and 25 drugs-related incidents.

More than 7,000 police will be on duty for this year's festival, a Scotland Yard spokeswoman said.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said they were well staffed in the event of any trouble.

"We are hoping for a peaceful carnival, but with so many people we can never tell," she said.

The Notting Hill Carnival has its roots in a 1964 street procession aimed at bringing together an Afro-Caribbean community blighted by racism and prejudice.