By Emma Griffiths and Chirag Trivedi BBC News Online, London

The vibrant colours of carnival strike your senses

If it is not the sounds of the huge stereo systems, the whistles or the drums, then it is the smell of the food and beer on the warm summer streets.

But it is the colour of Europe's biggest street party that most impresses.

From the ornate costumes, decorated with feathers and sequins, to the graffiti boards that mark the route, the carnival brings unusual colour to this normally-reserved part of west London.

And it is not just the performers, many spectators choose to dress up for carnival as well.

Friends Angela Johnson and Marsha Muir, both 17, were among a group of 15 girls wearing neon pink vest tops, pink fish net tights and gloves.

Many spectators dress up for carnival as well

"That's just what everyone does," said Angela with a shrug.

"It's carnival and we just dress up. People like to stop and get our pictures."

A lot will be made of the falling attendance figures - this year's event only attracted 500,000 compared to last year's 800,000 - but that has added to its laid back nature.

OB, a steward, said: "This is one of the best carnivals for a long time.

"I don't know if it's because there are less people here or if it's because it's just better organised."

And musician Alexandra D Great, a stalwart of the carnival, danced to one of the 15 steel bands.

The white-haired Trinidadian said: "Today's too cold I like it hotter than this. But the carnival this year is mellow - in a good way.

The Burrokeets UK band party at carnival

"This is my kind of music, it reminds me of the original carnival. We seem to have more steel bands than we normally see."

Armed with a piece of jerk chicken and a can of Red Stripe most head towards the DJ sets.

Rounding different street corners sound systems are blasting out music to the delight of crowds of people jumping or dancing in the packed streets.

Whistles on multi-coloured strings are blown as are the paper hooters being sold throughout the area.

Many police officers wore fluorescent ear plugs as they lined part of the parade route on Ladbroke Grove.

Blasting horns

The orange-jacketed stewards try to clear a path through crowds for carnival floats and direct those who are lost.

Security guard Steve, at the Good Times Bus, said: "Everybody wants to get in but you have to tell them a million times before they listen. It can be a bit crazy - this bus can only hold 100."

But that is the spirit of carnival - a sort of organised madness which brings together people from all walks of life.

From the eccentric man from Edinburgh who claimed it is always like this in his home city to the French woman who arrived this morning to visit a friend on Portobello Road and found herself dancing with a man with red feathers sticking out his head.