
Hailed as Europe's largest street festival, the annual Notting Hill Carnival attracts hundreds of thousands of revellers every August.

And in preparation for the 'Caribbean showcase for the world', home and business owners in the plush pocket of west London are taking precautions ahead of the raucous crowds.

Today workers were seen boarding up windows, shopfronts and gates in an early bid to ward off boisterous party-goers.

It comes days after a teenager was stabbed in the leg Finsbury Park at an illegal pre-carnival rave.

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Home owners have begun boarding up glass windows, doors and gates ahead of the boisterous carnival which will attract hundreds of thousands of people

Shop fronts were also boarded up with wood ahead of the festival which saw hundreds of people arrested for a range of offences last August

Wooden boards rest against a pop-up Red Stripe bar. Thousands of street vendors selling Caribbean food and alcohol will attend the event on Sunday and Monday

Residents have begun boarding up the front of their houses ahead of Notting Hill Carnival this weekend which is hailed as Europe's largest street festival

Wooden boards and steel barriers have been erected by home and shop owners today before the famous Caribbean festival begins on Sunday

Endless crowds will pass through the streets in a flurry of music and colour at the event this weekend to a soundtrack of reggae and Caribbean music

Hundreds of people were arrested at last year's event for a plethora of offences including robbery, theft, sexual assault, drug possession and grievous bodily harm

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said more than 6,000 officers had been designated to patrol the west London streets over the bank holiday weekend

Police issued a stern warning today advising anyone who intends to come to the festival to cause harm or commit crime that they will be dealt with 'swiftly and robustly'

Police 'super recognisers' , described as officers who have the ability to remember hundreds of faces to identify offenders, will be present as part of the police effort

Metropolitan Police have issued stern warnings to those planning to attend the event this weekend which sees thousands of dancers and floats pass through the streets of Notting Hill to the soundtrack of reggae and Afro-Caribbean music.

A spokesman said those coming to cause harm will be dealt with 'swiftly and robustly' by 6,000 officers who will be on patrol.

More than 250 people were arrested at last year's event, with offences ranging from sexual assault to grievous bodily harm.

Superintendent Robyn Williams said: 'We have worked closely with the event organisers to ensure that the largest street party in Europe is a safe environment for people to come and enjoy themselves.

'Police officers and stewards will take to the streets of West London during the bank holiday weekend. We will have a total of 6,145 officers on duty on Sunday and just over 7,000 on duty on Monday dedicated to Carnival.

'Police patrol staffing levels outside of the Carnival footprint across the MPS will be maintained to undertake business as usual.

'The overwhelming majority of people do come to have a good time, but given the large numbers the event attracts, some see it as an opportunity to disrupt the event and commit crime.'

'I want to say to those who want to come to cause trouble, do not come, you will be dealt with swiftly and robustly. The Met will do everything in its power to make it as hard as possible for you.

'Throughout the weekend dedicated teams of experienced officers will be deployed to stop potential trouble makers from even getting to the Carnival area. This will include a range of tactics such as ANPR.

'Police super recognisers - officers with the ability to remember hundreds of offenders' faces - will be working again this year.

'Officers and stewards will be engaging with the public, and will take appropriate action and intervene at the earliest possible stage to prevent things from escalating.

'If you're coming to this year's event we want you to have a safe and enjoyable time. Please look after your belongings, and keep them with you. In particular keep an eye on your mobile phone, and don’t bring too much cash, or wear expensive jewellery.

Happy days: A cheery message has been left on hoarding outside this outlet of the Paul Smith chain in Notting Hill

Party options: Hoarding along the road were quickly covered with posters hoping to tempt revellers to after-parties in the wake of the carnival

Elderly residents of Notting Hill were invited to apply for a place on a seaside trip to Eastbourne to avoid the chaos of the colourful carnival this weekend

A worker sets up grandstand seating ahead of the carnival, which attracts thousands of visitors to the streets of west London

Last year an estimated 1million people descended on Notting Hill to attend the carnival. While Sunday is thought of as a family day, hundreds were arrested last year for a range of offences

Police carried out a series of pre-carnival raids this week in a bid to preempt crime. More than £90,000 in cash was seized alongside a haul of drugs and weapons

Police have issued guidelines for those attending the event instructing them to stay with the group they arrived with and arrange a meeting place in case they are separated

More than 60,000 leaflets were issued to residents by Kensington and Chelsea Council advising them on road and personal safety ahead of the event this weekend

Cordoned off zones will be organised with residents of the area the only ones able to gain access with proof of where they live

The fronts of houses have been boarded up with tall wooden fences by residents in anticipation of the carnival's chaos, as Transport for London makes arrangements for crowd control

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL: WHAT TO EXPECT AND HOW TO PLAN AHEAD OF EUROPE'S LARGEST STREET PARTY The festivities kick off on Saturday night at 7pm with Panorama - an open air parade of steel bands. On Sunday, described as the family friendly day, visitors are invited to the carnival from 6am to watch J'Ouvert, a parade of dancers, musicians and people in fancy dress. At 10am the children's day parade is due to begin. The party will continue until 11pm, when revellers will be shepherded away from the main streets. Monday is the carnival's main event - with a procession of floats, drummers, dancers, singers and party-goers expected to stream through the area all day. DJs and bands are schedule to perform throughout the day and into the night. Transport for London have arranged for additional buses to serve the area throughout the weekend though officials warn public transport will be extremely busy. Ladbroke Grove tube station will be closed on Sunday and Monday, with Notting Hill Gate Station operating on an exit-only basis between midday and 7pm on Sunday and all day on Bank Holiday Monday. Royal Oak station will close at 6pm on both days, and Westbourne Park will close at 11.30pm. A performer at last year's festival the main event - the Bank Holiday Monday parade which sees floats, dancers, drummers and singers pass through the streets Advertisement

'On arrival at Carnival, go with the flow of the crowd, and move along the route. Make sure you discuss with friends and family a location to meet in case you get separated.'

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council has organised for a selected group of older residents to enjoy a seaside break over the bank holiday weekend while the carnival rages their streets.

Limited places for the trip to Eastbourne were advertised on its website earlier this month, with guests taken to a hotel on Saturday and brought back to their homes following the clear up on Tuesday.

Earlier this week a teenager was stabbed at an illegal pre-carnival rave in Finsbury Park, north London.

Hundreds of youths gathered in Seven Sisters Road on Wednesday as a warm up to the event this weekend. Finsbury Park tube station was closed early to avoid swarming crowds after violence spread among the crowds.

A 19-year-old was stabbed in the leg after being caught in a brawl between two groups.

A police helicopter was scrambled and four riot vans were sent to the scene where one officer was hit in the face, a spokesman said.

Metropolitan Police revealed 155 people had been arrested in pre-carnival raids, with officers seizing £93,000 in cash and a plethora of firearms.

Kensington and Chelsea Council issued 60,000 leaflets advising residents on how to prepare for the festival.

Hundreds of teenagers and young people descended upon Seven Sisters Road in north London on Wednesday night as part of an illegal pre-carnival party (pictured)

A 19-year-old was stabbed in the leg after violence spread among the crowd. Metropolitan Police made arrests as Finsbury Park tube station closed early to avoid crowd