14 people cautioned as Hyde Park goes to pot

Fourteen people were issued with warnings and two were arrested after thousands gathered in Hyde Park at the weekend to openly smoke cannabis.

Up to 2,000 people were seen lounging on the grass on Saturday with what appeared to be joints in hand, while parents played with their young children nearby.

Later in the day two teenagers were stabbed on the edge of the park though police said it did not appear the incidents were linked.

Demonstrators waved placards bearing slogans such as “Fight crime, not cannabis” in the park as they called for the drug to be legalised, as part of the annual “National Pot Smoking Day”.

The London Cannabis Club, which organised the rally using social networking sites, claimed up to 10,000 people attended. Scotland Yard said 14 cannabis warnings were issued and two arrests made, one for possession of cannabis and one for robbery. One passing jogger said it was “outrageous” more people were not arrested.