West London lit up in a blaze of colour with the start of the 38th Notting Hill Carnival.

The sights, smells and sounds of the Caribbean filled the narrow streets as thousands descended on the area to party over the next two days.

While up to 10,000 police officers prepared for two days of hard work keeping the event safe, visitors were enjoying the break from work to listen to steel bands, ragga, soca, hip hop and UK garage.

A key element of Carnival is the taste of Trinidad and Tobago and so one popular stall along the U-shaped route is Blacka Warren's.

'Amazing atmosphere'

Blacka, from Hertfordshire, grows his own herbs and spices and it goes into his mouth watering recipes.

He said: "I've got spring onions and every herb that will spice up that juicy jerk chicken.

"I grow everything with my friends and family and we tasted it before Carnival to make sure it was perfect for everyone. Delicious!"

A young child dresses up for carnival

But the main theme of Sunday's carnival centres on children and young people so a shorter procession is under way.

Youngsters have been putting the finishing touches to their costumes for months and perfecting their dance routines.

Carnival goer Clark Ainsworth said: "It's an amazing atmosphere. The streets are lined almost three deep now and everyone is enjoying the floats going by.

"The kids look great in their costumes. They must have spent so much time on their outfits. There's a real family atmosphere here today.

"The one thing I can't get over is the smell. Barbeque, jerk chicken - it's wonderful."

Debi Gardner, one of the organisers of the event, said: "We've put a lot of work in to make Family Day a really great event.

"The emphasis this year is definitely on culture rather than 'street party'. We've got more steel bands and other types of music."