Sajid Javid is to give police “hugely effective” stop and search powers to tackle the growing menace of knife crime.

The Home Secretary will today overturn two reforms made by Theresa May five years ago, allowing officers in seven regions to step up the use of the controversial tactic.

Lower ranked officers in the areas worst affected by violent crime will be able to sanction police to stop and search suspects in an attempt to remove knives from the street.

He has also made it simpler for police to use Section 60 powers of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 allowing them to stop and search in specific areas for a set amount of time if it is feared there is a likelihood of serious violence.

The move allows police to stop people and vehicles to carry out searches regardless of whether they have reasonable grounds for suspecting they will find offensive weapons.

In 2014, Mrs May, the then Home Secretary, curtailed stop and search tactics amid concerns they unfairly targeted people who were black or from minority ethnic groups.