Report says UK search powers aimed at blacks and Asians

A fresh row over stop and search powers has erupted after it emerged anti-terrorist police have received orders singling out blacks and Asians.

Civil liberties campaigners and black groups have reacted furiously over official orders to the British Transport Police which says terrorist suspects are of "Asian, West Indian and East African origin." They have urged the Commission for Racial Equality to investigate.

Officers patrolling on the tube and train network, have been told not to "use stereotypical images of terrorists when deciding whether or not to use their powers of stop and search."

But the Operational Order, issued after the 7 July attacks, which the Independent has seen, adds: "It should be noted, however, that recent suspects have included individuals of Asian, West Indian and East African origin, some of whom have British Nationality."

The Order has reignited the row over "racial profiling" by police and revived concerns that a disproportionately high number of black and Asian people are being stopped and searched, without having reasonable ground to suspect them.

Liberty, the human rights lobby group, has referred the Operational Order to lawyers, to see if it breaches race relations laws. Black leaders said the advice contributed to racial stereotyping and said that it should be examined by the Commission for Racial Equality.

Today MPs plan to raise the issue of stop and search during a special session of the Home Affairs Select Committee.

The Commons Committee is taking evidence form Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, and Sir Iqbal Sacranie, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, on "issues arising from the London bombings."

"I am sure the Commission for Racial Equality would be keen to scrutinise this operational order. You can't say 'don't use stereotypes' and then say "just watch out for this lot," said Simon Woolley, of Operation Black Vote.

"We desperately need to avoid the crude profiling that may have led to death of the innocent Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes. The officers jumped to a conclusion about him because he had a dark complexion. Strong intelligence-led policing is the only way to secure gain the confidence of the Black and ethnic minority community and catch the criminals we all want caught."

Shami Chakrabati, head of Liberty, said the Transport advice is so controversial she has fixed a meeting with Ian Johnston, the transport police' chief constable, next month to raise her concerns.

"This order is in real danger of breaching the race relations act. You should stop and search a person who meets the description of a terror suspect not look for needles in a haystack. We are really concerned by this. We will be asking the chief constable for an explanation of this guidance. I look forward to meeting him"

The Operational Order says the British Transport Police should aim to "prevent and deter access by terrorist suspects to the transport infrastructure", including the tube.

It says "police supervisors must ensure that officers make maximum use of Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 search powers in a targeted approach against individuals who match the target profile which is males aged between 18-30 years, who may be of any racial background."

It adds that "under the Race Relations Act, police forces have a duty to promote good relations between racial groups. Terrorists come from a wide variety of backgrounds and stop and searches and other interactions must be carried (sic) objectively."

It also advises against "disproportionate and unfair targeting of certain communities."

However it says police offices should notes Asians, West Indians and East Africans were the recent terrorist suspects.

Nick Harvey MP, a Liberal Democrat member of the Home Affairs Select committee, said the advice sent mixed messages.

"The whole thing is completely contradictory. It's suggesting it is open season on a couple of groups. Quite apart from the racial stereotyping, the parallel concern is that guidance that is so vague. It seems to be a tacit invitation to stop and search people from these racial groups. It's very bad policing."

Following the July attacks Ian Johnston, the Transport Police's Chief Constable, provoked a furious row when he said his officers should "not waste time searching old white ladies."

Hazel Blears, a Home Office minister, was said stop and search guidelines would "not discriminate against muslims."

The British Transport Police said the chief constable believes policing should be "intelligence led."

"We are dealing with a terrorist attack from a particular source which is Islamic international terrorism and these are the people at that time who were responsible for these attacks. But it is not saying that they may be responsible in the future. The people who carried out an attack on 7th July and 21st July are not representative of the British population. We are trying to stop people particular to the threat," said a spokesman.

"We are saying to our officers that not all Asian people are terrorists but given we are looking at Islamic terrorists - if we were looking for Irish republican terrorists we would not be stopping Asian or black people."

- INDEPENDENT