Going for gold in unlawful policing

The Times newspaper reported that police were planning to use anti-terror laws to stop and search members of the public during the Olympics and quoted Olympic national transport security co-ordinator Steve Thomas as saying that they would look to use section 44 "at every Underground and railway station."

Stop and search has been a highly controversial measure since its introduction under the Terrorism Act 2000.

Last month the European Court of Human Rights criticised the use of section 44, saying it was an infringement on individual freedoms guaranteeing the right to a private life.

The court said that the power to search individuals' clothes and belongings in public involved an element of humiliation. It also condemned the arbitrary nature of the power and the way in which it is used, saying it was "neither sufficiently circumscribed nor subject to adequate legal safeguards against abuse."

Despite the criticism, Home Secretary Alan Johnson said the use of stop and search would continue and announced he would appeal against the court's decision.

Recent statistics published by the Home Office also showed that people from black and Asian minority communities were between five and seven times more likely to be stopped under section 44.

Commenting on the proposed use of the powers, London Assembly and Metropolitan Police Authority member Jenny Jones said such a move would set back years of community relations work.

"The police have alienated young people, photographers, tourists and ethnic minorities with their unlawful use of stop and search in recent years. With theaworld watching, will they go for gold in the bad Olympics policing competition?" she asked.

"If these powers haven't been scrapped by 2012, the police have to use them carefully following intelligence. A six-week mass clampdown would undermine years of work to improve community relations and safety."

Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti said: "There's an obvious need for heightened precautions during the 2012 Games and transport infrastructure might warrant particular attention.

"So parliamentarians must tighten up unlawful blanket stop and search powers in section 44 of the Terrorism Act as it would be incredibly dangerous to build Olympic security on such a legally flawed foundation."

Separately, one of the country's most senior police officers, Sir Norman Bettison, has said that anti-extremist programme Prevent will have to remain in place for up to 20 years to "bear fruit."

Prevent is one of the central elements of the government's counter-terrorism strategy aimed at preventing people being drawn into violent extremism.

But the programme has been condemned by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and civil liberty groups.

The MCB said: "Prevent has wittingly and perilously conflated anti-terrorism strategy with community services delivery."