Carnival numbers fall

The Notting Hill Carnival has lost its crown as Europe's largest street party - to the Swiss.

The nation not renowned for its partying has overtaken London because of an unexpected fall in the numbers at the weekend's festival.

Metropolitan Police estimate attendance was down by more than half on last year, with 600,000 revellers.

It was the first time for 10 years that numbers have fallen below the one million mark. Last year the total figure was more than 1.3 million.

The figures also suggest the carnival's position as Europe's largest party may now have been usurped by Zurich's Street Parade dance festival, which attracted an estimated 900,000 people in one day this month.

Debi Gardener, of Notting Hill Carnival Ltd, said: "There does not seem to be any particular reason for the low attendance.

"Although there were lots of officers around it's not the same sort of intrusive policing as last year."

The event passed off relatively peacefully. Two people were stabbed and dozens slightly injured but police said that considering the numbers attending, it had been largely trouble free. There were 175 arrests.