Nearly 300 children under the age of five have been stopped and searched by police over the last five years, it has emerged.

Officers across the UK have been condemned for using their powers to stop and search toddlers on suspicion of a host of offences including drug or knife crime, possession of weapons and terrorism.

Police said that in nearly all cases, officers had carried out the searches after believing the child had been an innocent party who had been used by adults to conceal drugs, weapons or stolen goods.

Officers across the UK have stopped and searched nearly 300 children aged under five on suspicion of a host of offences including drug or knife crime, weapon possession and terrorism in the last five years (file picture)

Police can stop and search children under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, which states that there is no requirement for an adult to be present during the search of under-10s.

Officers from Metropolitan Police, the largest force in Britain, exercised their powers against under-fives the most – but Scotland Yard said it was because children are 'among the most vulnerable in society' and needed 'safeguarding'.

One former Met Police officer, who worked at border control at Heathrow Airport, said he believed stop and search powers on children were used only in exceptional circumstances.

He said that on one occasion his team had firm intelligence that a couple with a baby were trying to transport drugs into the UK. However, when nothing was found on the two adults, officers decided not to search the child for fear of being condemned.

He told The Sunday Times: 'Can you imagine the headlines if we had searched the baby's nappy and found nothing?'

In total, Met Police officers in London have stopped and searched a total of 184 children under the age of five over the last five years.

Greater Manchester Police was found to be the next prolific at stopping and searching children, with 45 toddlers frisked.

While nearly 300 children aged under five have been stopped and searched across the UK during the last five years, a total of 612 children under the age of 10 - below the age of criminal responsibility - have also been searched.

Last month, Home Secretary Theresa May announced plans to change the law regarding stop and search powers if police do not halt the 'excessive and inappropriate' use of them.

Home Secretary Theresa May (pictured) announced plans last month to change the law regarding stop and search powers if police do not halt using them in an 'excessive and inappropriate' manner

Ms May warned officers that she wanted to see a dramatic improvement in figures, which recently revealed that only one in every 10 of the searches ends in arrest.

Stop and search has been frequently blamed for inflaming tensions between the public and the police.

A recent report by the police watchdog found that more than a quarter of police stop and searches were 'unlawful' and risked promoting 'major disorder'.

Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary said that, in 27 per cent of cases, police failed to show they had reasonable grounds to carry out the search.

Enver Solomon, director of evidence and impact at the National Children's Bureau, told The Sunday Times: 'The police should review how they deal with children and ensure they are always treated as having district separate needs from adults.'

Releasing the figures for London, Scotland Yard said the majority of searches on children were to dectect and defer adults using youngsters to conceal weapons or drugs.

A spokesman said: 'The stop and search of individuals under 10-years-old represented only 0.02 per cent of total MPS stop and search activity in both 2011/2012 and 2012/2013.

'Children are amongst the most vulnerable members of society. It is therefore vital that the MPS considers how best to safeguard them and promote their welfare in everything we do. 'There are occasions when young children are concerned in crime and anti-social behavour, and it is necessary for officers to undertake searches to allay or confirm suspicions without exercising their powers of arrest.

'Any young child or baby being searched will be as a result of it being suspected that they are in some way the unsuspecting and innocent assistant in a criminal act.

'For example, it has been known for some adult and teenage criminals to operate with babies or young children to conceal their illegal items (e.g. drugs, knives or other weapons) in children's pushchairs or about their person in an attempt to avoid detection.