Police demand new stop and search powers after human rights ruling scraps previous law



Police hope to win government backing for new counter-terrorism power to stop and search people without the suspicion of criminal activity (file picture)



Police are hoping to win government backing for a new counter-terrorism power to stop and search people without the suspicion of criminal activity.



Officers say the powers are needed to better protect the public from attacks against large groups of people.



Previously, section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 allowed counter-terrorism stops without suspicion, but this was scrapped by Home Secretary Theresa May after Strasbourg judges said it was illegal.



Fearing their counter-terrorism powers are now weak, police have asked for a law which would be restricted to a specific period of time and to a limited geographic area, place or event, The Guardian reported.



The new powers would need primary legislation to become law and could be introduced within months.



A source said: ‘The key thing is to get this power without its use being random.



'You can’t have a random power because of the judgement, but some new power is needed.



‘It could cover an event of high importance such as the Olympics.



'It would be for a limited time and in a limited geographical place, and at a time when the threat level is severe.’

Section 23 of the Terrorism Act currently allows searches, but officers must have reasonable suspicions for them to be lawful.



The issue of the police stop-and-search powers is particularly controversial because officers are more likely to target a minority ethnic person than someone who is white.



African-Caribbean people are 26 times more likely than white people to be targeted and critics say this is blatant discrimination.