Police to retain random stop and search for anti-terror fight

Police will be still be able to search people without suspicion using counter-terrorism powers despite pledges to curb the practice, it emerged today.

A new law to replace Section 44 - under which tens of thousands of people were searched randomly - will let officers frisk people "regardless of whether" they have a reasonable suspicion the person is involved in terrorism.

Crime prevention minister James Brokenshire insisted the legislation would lead to far fewer people being checked than under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000. This let police stop and search without grounds for suspicion in any area covered by the power. At one point, this included the whole of London, although the Met scaled this back.

The new law will permit searches only in areas where a senior police officer "reasonably suspects" a terrorist act might be committed. But this could include an event such as the Olympics.

A host of reforms were laid out in the Protection of Freedoms Bill. Rules on storing DNA will be made tighter: profiles of people who have not been convicted will be held only if they have been charged with a serious crime, and only for three years. But police will be allowed to keep DNA indefinitely on national security grounds, so long as they get approval every two years.

An anti-paedophile vetting scheme will be scaled back. Town halls will lose the power to "spy" on people over minor offences, preventing staff from checking bins. Laws restricting weddings to 8am to 6pm will be scrapped.