The tweet at the top of this page was sent by London's Metropolitan Police early on Tuesday morning. It shows what they allege is a kilo of uncut heroin seized by officers in the Catford region of the city earlier in the day. For undisclosed reasons the tweet begins "In the run up to #NottingHillCarnival," a reference to the annual street party which takes place this coming weekend (August 27-28).
The Met have increased their efforts in the days preceding this year's Carnival. The Guardian reports that 290 arrests have been made since August 11, with officers focusing on knife crime, drugs, and child exploitation. However, as many Twitter users pointed out, Catford is over 12 miles from Notting Hill and heroin is hardly a drug associated with a celebratory event such as Carnival. The fact that the tweet targets Britain’s biggest African-Caribbean celebration was not missed either, with many people accusing the police of racism.
See below for a round up of some of the responses to the original tweet. A spokesperson for the Met was not immediately available for comment.
Thumbnail image via Jack Taylor/Getty.
