Stop-and-question

the met

Tuesday, 29, May 2007 12:00

New stop-and-question powers for the police are being planned by the Home Office.

The proposals have already caused a split among Labour's deputy leadership candidates and provoked a storm of protest from a wide range of MPs and civil liberties groups.

The plans extend the police's right to ask for peoples' identity and movements from areas believed to be at risk from terrorism to the whole of the UK.

While police would still need to have "reasonable suspicion" a crime may be committed, they would not be required to suspect that the individual has actually breached the law.

Anyone who refuses to co-operate could be charged with obstruction and fined up to £5,000.

The plans would bring the UK into line with Northern Ireland, although, ironically, the province is soon set to discard the powers as part of the peace process.

Mr Hain, one of the front runners for Labour deputy leader, condemned the plans over the weekend while his colleague Hazel Blears, another candidate, supported them.

The counter-terrorism minister, Tony McNulty, said the government would reveal its proposals to parliament within a fortnight, leading to claims that the Home Office is trying to rush the new laws through before Mr Blair steps down on June 27.

While the plans only became public due to a leak to the Times newspaper, they come as little surprise to observers given the home secretary's comments last Thursday following the disappearance of three terrorist suspects under control orders.

John Reid warned opposition parties and judges to support tough new counter-terrorist measures and a possible derogation from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

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