Police say Notting Hill Carnival is a ‘war zone’ and they would rather ‘crawl naked through broken glass’ than be on duty at it.

Nearly 90 per cent of Metropolitan Police officers who responded to a survey said they had felt unsafe while working at the annual festival, while 28.78 per cent had been assaulted.

Asked to describe how they feel about working there, they said it was ‘Hell. It’s a war zone we are sent into year after year’ and ‘Dangerous. Officers are treated as lambs to slaughter’.

One officer said the police operation was ‘overstretched, ineffective and an exercise in self-torture’, while another claimed they ‘would rather crawl naked through broken glass’.

Two million revellers flock to the streets of west London over the August bank holiday weekend to enjoy the festival, which is rooted in Caribbean culture.

However, the celebration has been marred by serious violence, excessive drinking, drug use and destruction of property.

There were two murders, eight stabbings and 349 arrests this year and 61 officers were assaulted, the Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers and carried out the survey, said.

The federation and others have previously called for the carnival to be ticketed and relocated to a place that is easier to police, such as Hyde Park.

The survey is part of a 24-page dossier aimed at improving safety for the public and police at the event in the future.

Matt Ward, the Met’s deputy assistant commissioner, said: ‘There is a need for a step change in the way [it] is being run if the significant crowd safety risks are to be addressed and to avoid, in a worst-case scenario, a mass casualty event caused by overcrowding.’

He said the level of crime was ‘unacceptable’, adding that despite more than 7,000 officers being deployed each day at this year’s event, there were more than 350 violent or 𝑠e𝑥ual offences reported.

They included the murders of clothing designer Cher Maximen, 32, and chef Mussie Imnetu, 41.

But Notting Hill Carnival Ltd, which organises the event, said: ‘[The survey] is driven by unsubstantiated quotes and little solid data, designed to create negative headlines.

‘It returned views at best of just 7 per cent of potential officers on duty and much of it highlights concerns they have about their general wellbeing at the event in regards to food and rest. This is a staff management issue for the Metropolitan Police.’