“By reducing indiscriminate and excessive use of stop and search, we can reach out to the communities we rely on most for intelligence,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne.

Commenting on today’s figures from the Government on the use of stop and search powers under the Terrorism Act, Chris Huhne said:

“The welcome dip in stop and searches under Section 44 is evidence of how indiscriminately the powers were being used previously.

“There is scope for them to be cut back even further as the fear remains that Section 44 searches are being used for reasons other than they were intended for.

“By reducing indiscriminate and excessive use of stop and search, we can reach out to the communities we rely on most for intelligence, which is a far more crucial tool in the fight against terrorism.”