Lee Jasper from the GLA (left) was at the launch with Chris Mullard

The company has been created to tackle the bickering and infighting of recent years and board members are made up of representatives from each of the main groups contributing to Europe's largest street festival.

On Thursday the theme of this year's carnival was announced as 'Peace on the Streets' with the carnival body hoping to build on the success of last year.

In 2002 more than 1.3 million people attended the Notting Hill Carnival in west London, which was held over the August bank holiday weekend.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Trotter revealed that officers had already made seven arrests as part of the police operation to tackle crime at this year's carnival.

There is a new sense of collectivity and unity and a new beginning where we saw an association of major parties and communities coming together to celebrate Carnival Chairman Professor Chris Mullard

He said: "We've already arrested about seven people for offences relating to Carnival and we will continue that operation throughout the next four weeks, and will be looking at a range of tactics to dissuade people who might be coming along to cause a problem."

Organisers are expecting about 1.5 million visitors to the 2003 carnival so they are increasing the number of stewards to about 1,000 and 9,000 police officers will be on duty.

Carnival Chairman Professor Chris Mullard, who described the event as an occasion to bring the community of London together, said: "Last year was reported to be bigger and better than years before. It also marked a new dawn, a new beginning for carnival.

"There is a new sense of collectivity and unity and a new beginning where we saw an association of major parties and communities coming together to celebrate."

Professor Mullard also revealed that the route of the 39th Notting Hill Carnival will not be changed.

No route changes

"There are no changes at all really to the route. We've improved the judging area and we've improved different bits of the route but the actual basic route is going to be the same because it was such a success last year."

He added that there would be "no infighting" as it has been "stamped on and everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet".

The leader of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, councillor Merrick Cockell, said the council would continue to be responsible for funding support services for the carnival, including the clean-up operation.

But he stressed that "there's still a lot of work to do."

Events related to this year's carnival will begin in July with a Calypso Tent in west London hosting musical evenings as part of a six-week run up to the main event.

More emphasis will be placed on this year's Children's Day, which will be held on Sunday 24 August, with the carnival body saying it will be a very different day from the Monday.