Carnival sound system banned after bottle attack

Kensington and Chelsea Council said it had no choice but to revoke a sound system's Notting Hill Carnival licence

A sound system has been banned from Notting Hill Carnival after a man at the venue had a bottle smashed over his head and was left on the street.

Kensington and Chelsea Council said it had no choice but to revoke Volcano Sound System's licence after the reveller suffered "deep lacerations" to his neck, head, legs and hand during last year's celebrations.

The authority called the decision "proportionate and appropriate" after the Met Police raised concerns about letting the venue operate again this year.

The council said the carnival should safe for everybody, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.

Police said the incident took place "within the footprint" of Volcano Sound System's setup on Faraday Road in 2024

According to documents shared with the council, the bottle incident took place when a drunken party-goer was refused entry to a VIP area by an employee.

The Met said nobody at the club called the police or ambulance service, and criticised Volcano manager Courtney White's handling of the matter as "completely unacceptable".

Mr White said it was "unfortunate" the police had requested a licence review after what he said was a decade of safely delivering a sound system experience.

But the council committee said Volcano, which had operated at the festival since 2008, failed to protect an intoxicated and clearly vulnerable person who had been seriously assaulted on the premises.

It said the venue breached a number of its licensing conditions, including ensuring security staff were clearly identifiable.

'Deflected his responsibility'

Volcano staff and Mr White, the committee said, showed no consideration for the victim's vulnerability and made no effort to tell police or ambulance services about what had happened.

It said nobody approached police to explain the situation once they arrived and that Mr White did not appreciate his responsibility to run his premises safely.

The decision read: "At times during the hearing, the premises licence holder seemed to deflect his responsibility by stating that his security team did not follow his instructions and that the Metropolitan Police did not provide him with enough support."

It said the police had explained their role was more reactive whereas the premises licence holder should be proactive.

This was a summary decision, and Volcano cannot appeal until a full decision is handed down.

Mr White, who claimed a person involved in the assault wearing a Volcano T-shirt had bought it and was not a staff member, said they would stop selling branded clothing to aid in identification.

He also pledged to train staff and volunteers "via a reputable training provider" and increase the number of welfare stewards.