Met Police Mocked Over Notting Hill Carnival Drugs Tweet With Details Of Other Unrelated Events

Lily Allen leads 'in the run up to #nottinghillcarnival ...' pile-on.
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The Metropolitan Police faced a backlash on Tuesday after it tweeted to link a drugs crackdown in south London with this weekend’s Notting Hill Carnival - with critics finding very little in common between the two events.

In the morning, the Met announced officers had seized a kilo of uncut heroin in Catford, saying: “In the run up to the #NottingHillCarnival, officers have this morning seized what is believed to be a kilo of uncut heroin in #Catford.”

In the run up to #NottingHillCarnival, officers have this morning seized what is believed to be a kilo of uncut heroin in #Catford pic.twitter.com/pUCya5lrvj

— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) August 22, 2017

Many, including grime artist Stormzy, questioned why and how police were linking the raids to the iconic street festival.

How many drugs did you lot seize in the run up to Glastonbury or we only doing tweets like this for black events? https://t.co/v7XYvSg29t

— #GSAP (@Stormzy1) August 22, 2017

Not only is Catford 12 miles away from Notting Hill, but heroin is not generally considered the drug of choice for an upbeat party.

The Notting Hill Carnival would be fucking terrible on heroin. I strongly advocate taking a different drug.

— Chris Taylor (@the_itch1980) August 22, 2017

In a follow-up series of tweets, the Met moved to make clear the raid in Catford was part of a wider series of raids.

The force made more than 26 arrests, predominantly for possession with intent to supply drugs, after raiding dozens of homes across south and west London with the aim of ensuring the “safety of the weekend”.

Prior to #NottingHillCarnival, we're disrupting gang crime, drug supply, knife crime & offences that could impact the safety of the weekend

— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) August 22, 2017

Before this morning’s activity, officers made over 290 arrests & recovered 190 knives & 18 firearms – activity will continue across #London

— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) August 22, 2017

As part of the operation, this morning officers from @MPSKenChel & @MPSLewisham carried out further raids & arrested an additional 26 people

— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) August 22, 2017

But it had already prompted many on social media to mock the UK’s largest police force ...

It's like saying "in the run up to a festival about oranges, here is some news about dolphins."

Irrelevant.

Your racism is showing. https://t.co/nkQ0LCARf9

— Kelechi Okafor (@kelechnekoff) August 22, 2017

And it generated a meme, fuelled in its early stages by rapper Professor Green, with people making public surreal and trivial events that have happened “in the run up to #nottinghillcarnival ...” that are as equally unrelated to the carnival.

In the run up to #nottinghillcarnival a pigeon flew into my kitchen window and landed in the fag bucket @metpoliceuK

— #ACTIVE (@professorgreen) August 22, 2017

Musician Lilly Allen joined in ...

In the run up to #NottingHillCarnival the Whitehouse is on lockdown.

— lily (@lilyallen) August 22, 2017

While others took pictures of the banality in their lives ...

In the run up to #NottingHillCarnival, I've covered my dog with a blanket because it's too cold in #HemelHempstead. pic.twitter.com/utatPziwqB

— Carli Fish (@Carli__F) August 22, 2017

In the run up to #NottingHillCarnival, I've just had what is believed to be a pasty in Waterloo https://t.co/joWXV5dbKx

— Mo Gilligan (@MoTheComedian) August 22, 2017

In the run up to #NottingHillCarnival, I am hanging out my washing and hoping it doesn't rain. pic.twitter.com/9MjKWHB0LI

— LaToyah McAllister (@Yogibear311) August 22, 2017

In the run up to #NottingHillCarnival I stole a handful of pick n mix from my own sweet jar #theft @metpoliceuk @professorgreen @Stormzy1 😳

— #TheMajik (@m8loid) August 22, 2017

In the run up to #NottingHillCarnival, we have seized what is believed to be the remnants of Caterpillar cake in #SouthLondon. @metpoliceuk pic.twitter.com/8ukrmkC2u7

— Ninja Tune (@ninjatune) August 22, 2017

In the run up to #NottingHillCarnival my almond milk finished but I want bran flakes so I might risk it and use dairy milk instead https://t.co/kzpFdRb059

— Tania Nwachukwu (@gwehgweh1) August 22, 2017

In the run up to #Nottinghillcarnival I've tripped over uneven pavement in #Toronto Canada pic.twitter.com/Y6miF9WvaY

— Ur fav bartender (@1choicelfc) August 22, 2017
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