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Three people are in hospital after violence erupted during Leicester's Caribbean Carnival festivities.

A woman and two men were taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary following a fight which broke out just after 6pm at the event's festival ground at Victoria Park.

It happened as thousands of revellers were soaking up the carnival atmosphere and enjoying live music on the main stage on Saturday evening.

At least one of the victims sustained "puncture wounds" in the altercation, which Leicestershire Police are describing as an isolated incident.

It prompted the force to enact emergency stop and search powers to "protect members of the public" and prevent further violence.

(Image: Matt Short Photography)

A spokeswoman said: "A fight broke out just after 6pm close to the main stage in Victoria Park. Initially, the situation was very confused and it was difficult to establish what exactly was going on.

"Three people - a woman and two men - were injured and taken to hospital. All of them are in a stable condition and their injuries are not life-threatening."

She added: "There were lots of people in the park at the time and, as officers were trying to establish what happened, Section 60 stop and search powers were authorised to protect members of the public and make sure there was no further disorder.

"One man was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm."

The spokeswoman said that there was no record of the arrested man remaining in police custody this morning and it was assumed that he hadsince been released 'under investigation'.

Thousands of 30,000 people attended the city's Caribbean Carnival celebrations, which saw costumed dancers and musicians parade through the city centre before the party resumed at Victoria Park.

The emergency police, under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, were approved shortly before 6.30pm.

They covered the area within Leicester city centre's inner ring road, from 6.25pm until 6.25am this morning. There are no reports at this stage of any further arrests relating to the carnival.

A police spokesman, speaking on Saturday evening, said: "The Section 60 powers are in place to enable officers to search for offensive weapons or dangerous instruments to prevent incidents of serious violence."

The force is signed up to the Government’s Best Use of Stop and Search Scheme, a voluntary scheme which the spokesman said was aimed at achieving "greater transparency and community involvement" in the use of controversial stop and search powers.

He added that the scheme also encourages forces to tell people when there is a Section 60 authorisation in place.

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