Met Police have come under criticism from multiple angles for “discriminatory practices” following a series of raids in Catford and elsewhere before the Notting Hill Carnival.

Following condemnation from Croydon’s grime star Stormzy, local campaign groups have also come out in condemnation of “targeting and smearing black Londoners”.

Met Police performed a series of drug raids in Catford and in Kensington and Chelsea early on August 22, saying afterwards it was in preparation for Notting Hill Carnival

Stormzy asked on twitter: “How many drugs did you lot seize in the run up to Glastonbury or we only doing tweets like this for black events?”

On the back of his tweet, local campaign groups Lewisham Anti-Racism Action Group (LARAG) and South East London Stand Up to Racism (SELSUR) have backed his words, saying they “share his fury”.

In a statement put out by the two groups, they said it was a “discriminatory act of policing”.

Met Police have defended their actions and doubled down, saying that people can expect to see further police activity of this nature right until the carnival itself.

Howard Wilson, activist with LARAG, said: “Catford is eleven miles the other side of London from the Notting Hill’s Carnival. The timing is a conscious attempt to undermine the event and the link is unproven.

“It’s a smear. We shall continue to campaign against racism, Islamaphobia and anti-Semitism in all its guises. The Metropolitan Police need to end their aggressive policing in the capital because without justice there will be no peace.”

Met Police have said they had intelligence to suggest the people they caught during their raids were planning to commit crime at the Notting Hill Carnival.

A Met Police spokesman: “It should be expected that in the run-up to carnival, the Met will do absolutely all it can to keep the event as safe as it should be for the millions of people who want to go and enjoy it.

“A total of 55 individuals were arrested during the morning of Tuesday 22 August, predominantly for possession with intent to supply drugs.

“Some of those arrested this week will have bail conditions imposed on them, prohibiting them from attending carnival.

“Officers will be at carnival and in the CCTV control room looking for anyone banned from the event, further increasing the safety and security of the vast majority of law-abiding visitors who attend Carnival.”