Carnival falls silent as Notting Hill revellers pay tribute to the memory of Grenfell inferno

The festival fell silent as carnival-goers broke off from the vibrant event to pay their respects those affected by the tragedy in June.

Carnivalists, smattered with paint and wearing brightly-coloured clothes, bowed their heads in respectful silence for those caught in the tragedy on June 14, when at least 80 people lost their lives. Powerful images show people raising their fists in solidarity with victims — others show crowds applauding firefighters who risked their lives during the inferno.

It comes as unprecedented levels of security were put in place ahead of the event amid fears of terror attacks and anger over Grenfell turning into violence.

The carnival opened with a multi-faith ceremony dedicated to victims of the horrific blaze, and charity single Bridge Over Troubled Water was sung.

Up to 8,000 police officers are on patrol along the carnival route on each day of the event amid the heightened security concerns.

But somber overtones have failed to cloud the carnival atmosphere — as one Sky News reporter found out all too well.

Journalist Joe Tidy was playfully ambushed when reporting from the London festival at around 8am this morning.

He described festival-goers' moods as 'fantastic' before spotting revellers carrying paint.

He joked: 'Hold up, I've been waiting for this!' before he was slathered in colourful paint.'