Stop and search must be better targeted

12.00.00am GMT Wed 30th Jan 2008

Commenting on Labour and Conservative proposals to reform 'stop and search' laws, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Affairs Secretary, Chris Huhne said:

"We need more stop and search targeted at gun and knife crime, led by intelligence not hunch.

"I hope Sir Ronnie Flanagan's review will bring forward proposals to use police time and resources better, including a big cut in paperwork and more use of digital recording and mobile email.

"The police need good relations with all our communities. Stop and search is currently used six times as much with ethnic minorities.

"That is why records must be kept and reviewed, and why we will resist any Tory or Labour attempts to remove these safeguards."