Civil Liberties 3

Increase in anti-terror targets

Counter-terror police have recorded a 37% increase in "suspicious reconnaissance" of potential targets in the first four months of 2007.

Metropolitan Police commanders said the "undiminished" threat level justified the continued use of random stop-and-search powers.

But they accepted the reasons for almost 23,000 stops under anti-terror laws in London needed more explaining.

Campaigners say anti-terrorism stop and searches "criminalise" communities.

However, the Home Office may expand the powers yet further.

What the police need is more money and manpower, not more bloody laws.

The British Police have plenty of laws to deal with terrorism yet the government has to create more and more authoritarian laws, just because they make good headlines.

John Reid even wants to bring back the Sus law and he didn't bother to consulting the judges.