During 2002/2003 nearly 3,000 Asians were stopped and searched in England and Wales.

Ms Blears attributed the low level of arrests resulting from the searches to the fact that terrorism searches require preventative action.

She said stop and search has to be used in an intelligence-led way and it has to be used to prevent crime and "can't just be used to harass people."

But feedback to Abdal Ullah, an independent member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, shows many do see it as harassment.

Searches conducted among white and black people have also increased.

Are stop and search powers used correctly? Has it ever happened to you? Do you feel that those with a young Asian Muslim appearance are picked on?

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far:

I would sooner be safe than sorry. Of course stop and search of Asians will rise, it is proportionate to threat. At the moment, the threat to world peace through terrorism is being conducted by Asians/Arabs, it is inevitable therefore that people of that description would be stopped and checked. Remember, unlike other armies terrorists do not wear specific uniforms, they blend in, become part of the society, gain their trust and then go for the soft underbelly. I am sure that many Asians living in Britain are happy that such searches are taking place. After all, no one, no matter what race or creed, wants to be another terrorist statistic.
Ian Mason, Perth, Australia

For goodness sake! The real question should be "Has the UK become overly PC and sensitive?". At the end of the day, the police have a job to do. They did a better job when the whole country wasn't watching their every move. Let them get on with it.
Michael Neilson, Glasgow, Scotland

Have the searches resulted in a proportional increase in the detection of crime? BMS, Anglesey, Wales

Whilst I support most measures taken to combat any crime, I have a question; have the searches resulted in a proportional increase in the detection of crime amongst the ethnic groups searched? If yes, then all well and good. If not, perhaps other tactics should be considered.
BMS, Anglesey, Wales

I'm British but my parents are from Bangladesh. I don't live in an "Asian" area and ironically, I've never been stopped. Usually it's me saying hello or stopping the police with a query. I feel that the policy of random stop and searches are a wrong way to go. This is a policy that the French use against the Maghreb (Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian) population and it just leads to tension. The British Police need to better engage the Asian community and encourage covert cooperation to avoid unnecessary friction to an already closely knit community.
Abdul M. Ismail, Liverpool, UK

Why are we just looking at Asian figures. From your web page Black people stop and search has risen by 38% compared to Asians on 36%. Let's look at the wider picture, not just a narrow view.
David Kellock, Livingston, Scotland

Random police searches are used as an alternative to proper policing Peter, London, UK

Random police searches are used as an alternative to proper policing, in place of proper numbers of police on the beat! The blame should be on the Blair government, for its utterly useless policing policies! Anything, to save money, right?
Peter, London UK

Some of the comments seem to reflect surprising ignorance regarding the so-called Asian community in the UK. In fact, half of the Asians are Hindus and Sikhs who, in the case of a stop and search would be doubly discriminated against. Unfortunately, neither the article nor the comments seem to reflect this.
Perry Johnson, Wolverhampton

Why shouldn't Asians be searched? Do they think the rule of law doesn't apply to them?
Tim Metcalfe, Leeds

I used to get stopped at least once a fortnight during the height of the IRA bombings in London. At that time I often worked late in the City of London (dressed down - i.e. no suit) and because I was not Asian or black but white I was stopped and questioned - often at gun point! I think it has already been said but - get over it!
Glen, UK

The world is not a perfect place - does any minority get a perfectly fair break? John, Kenilworth, England

There is no Islamophobia!!! - this is a classic example of you - the media generating an issue out of understandable circumstances. Reasonable people will feel sympathy with other people who have to suffer the slight indignity of personal searches, but they will, if searched themselves, also understand the necessity for these searches. We all put up with them at airports, and years ago at pubs in the days of the IRA threat - nobody complained then because it was an attempt to protect us all. Were Asians searched less then? - did our Irish immigrants or visitors suffer more of this indignity in those days? Grow up and stop bleating - the world is not a perfect place - does any minority get a perfectly fair break?
John, Kenilworth, England

While studying GCSE Geography at school, we learned how ethnic minorities formed communities within towns around their places of worship or specialised shops etc. This coincidently happens to be closer to town centres. Most searches also occur in the town centre and inner suburbs. Is this because of a racist regime, or because town centre's have a more dense population and so a greater threat of crime etc? The answer is obvious, and to base these claims of racism on a simple statistic is just sheer stupidity. If half the Asian population went and lived in villages where search numbers are drastically lower, then the Asian "search" percentage would drop. Maybe some good old geography lessons are needed
Lee, Northants, UK

Given the ever-increasing stream of immigrants pouring into this country, isn't it inevitable that the stop and search percentage would rise?
Gwen, Wales

It will surely do more harm than good Simon, London

Stopping and searching will do more harm than good. I am yet to hear of a bomb being found, however it is clearly aggravating the Muslim community, and understandably so. It will surely do more harm than good.
Simon, London

As an Indian Brit, I feel the police should do what they do best. Of course they should search us Asians. Its a small price we must pay to live in this country, but it is worth it. I love this country, and I would support the police 100% with their efforts to stop terrorism against my country.
Tom P, Manchester, UK

As a serving officer , I must say how exasperating it is, and somewhat confusing as to what you the public want, do you want your officers to try to protect you, or if not then the government should help us out and direct us not to conduct these searches? Personally I will definitely fight shy of engaging with Asians as I have for years Black people, I have 3 years service left and frankly it cannot come soon enough. 27 years of a high stress job takes its toll. The public need to make up their minds.
Andy, Portsmouth, Hampshire

In these times of high crime and terrorist threats we should be glad that the police are doing their job K Smith, Liverpool

I can't see what the problem is. If you have nothing to hide then you don't mind being stopped and searched. In these times of high crime and terrorist threats we should be glad that the police are doing their job by being vigilant. A bomb, gun or knife kills and it doesn't discriminate about whether you are Asian, Black or White.
K Smith, Liverpool

I do hope that political correctness isn't put before public safety.
James, Lowestoft, UK

I have a friend who is Bengali who has lived and worked in the UK all his life. The amount of times he was stopped in his car by police even before terrorism was an issue in the UK, was unbelievable. He hadn't been speeding or committed any driving offence but because they were suspicious that an Asian was driving a decent car. If that isn't discrimination, I don't know what is. Not all Muslims are Black or Brown, how about random searches on white people as more are converting to Islam each day? I can see why the Asian community are not happy about the whole situation.
Chantelle, Manchester, UK

Let the police get on with their job Abdul Majid, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire

I am a Muslim of Pakistani origin. I think the police have the right to stop and search anyone they see as acting suspicious. Let the police get on with their job.
Abdul Majid, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire

The police are the law and as far as I'm concerned they can stop and search whoever they like!! At the end of the day if it brings crime down who cares?
Paula, York

I saw a policeman stop an Asian kid in the middle of Leicester Square and do a big show and dance about searching him in front of all his mates and other people there. Stop and search if you will, but this particular policeman seemed to get a fair bit of pleasure doing it.
Mary, Buckinghamshire

The Police are simply targeting a known threat. These statistics highlight that they are doing their job responsibly. Thanks to their diligence, there have been no major terrorist incidents in the UK from al-Qaeda.
Iain, Glasgow, Scotland

No matter what we do the wider community will not allow us to fit in Mumtaz Ahmed, Bradford

No matter what we do the wider community will not allow us to fit in. An Asian moves into a white area to integrate with the wider population and what happens? The home population moves out. We show full support for the country during events like Euro 2004 and we still get accused of not trying to fit in. Oh... and on official documents I am being constantly asked of my ethnic origin. Why? I am British, born in England so why do you constantly ask for my ethnicity? Or does British mean English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Indian, Chinese and Pakistani and so on...
Mumtaz Ahmed, Bradford, UK

If you want to know what being victimised is like - ride a motorcycle on any Sunday in Lancashire or Yorkshire or northern Wales. The police will stop you and scrutinise your bike for no good reason, looking for something to book you on. Motorcycle phobia in action� so the Asian community are not the only minority feeling aggrieved by police tactics.
Michael Ford, Bolton, England

This clearly shows more Muslims/Asians must become part of the police force. The police have a duty to protect and Muslims must get over the image that everyone is out to get them. As a Muslim I regularly encourage people to join the police force.
Hanif, Dewsbury

I am a white middle class middle aged professional who wears a pin striped suit. But I have to travel quite a lot and at almost every airport I am searched. Along with all the other men travelling by themselves. Someone goes through my hand luggage to make sure my copies of the Economist or the books on 19th century history I carry on to read are not disguised weapons. I have to take off my shoes and stand there with my arms over my head while others file on - Arab gentlemen with their families included.

I don't like it but I understand why it's being done - a single man travelling alone is considered to be suspicious. After all a terrorist is unlikely to bring his or her spouse along when they decide to incinerate themselves and their fellow passengers. When I was a young man (with a beard) coming back from working in Asia I was almost always stopped by Customs. Why? I was young and I had a beard and I was travelling alone from South East Asia - the source of a large proportion of the drugs that enter the country. Everybody else sailed through while I was asked to "Come this way". I suggest Mr Ullah stops being so sensitive and gives the subject some more mature reflection before he starts playing the race card.
Hugh, London

People should also be understanding of the incredibly tight rope that police officers are walking on Amanda Matthews, East London

I have full sympathy for the Asians that are getting stopped and searched - I would hate it and find it intrusive if it were happening to me but equally I would understand that the police are only doing their job. Let's face it, if the world were under threat by men in red jumpers, then surely we would expect the police to, using their discretion, stop and search men in red jumpers.

I am quite sure that the police do not view every single Asian as a potential terrorist and am just as sure that more Asians don't get searched than do. People should also be understanding of the incredibly tight rope that police officers are walking on. Remember, every time they stop and search they stand accused of being racist in their reasons and we all know how desperately keen the police are to avoid such allegations...
Amanda Matthews, East London

Nobody seems to mind that the overwhelming majority of these stops and searches will be on men and not women. Where is the outcry about that? As usual it is the lefty PC brigade who use these statistics as an excuse to attack the police.
G Cooper, Oxford, England

As an Asian myself, I would be happy to co-operate with the police in doing their job. I believe any honest, peace loving person would treat this as a help to the society, not an insult to oneself.
Bala, Norwich, UK

300% increase sounds a lot but the base figure was perhaps very low reflecting earlier police reticence to stop Asians. From my experience the police in Bradford go out of their way to avoid inflaming the Asian population. The Asian population would be well advised to be more pro-British and then the rest of the population may trust them more.
Ian, Bradford, UK

If it's done properly, and the people being stopped are treated professionally and respectfully, then I can't see an issue. Are people complaining of harassment simply because they are being stopped or because they are treated badly when they are stopped? A subtle, but important difference.
John, England

The trendy politically correct politicians are only too happy to pander to them David, Slough

Of course it's acceptable. If a terrorist organisation from Brazil was actively attacking the West wouldn't you expect to see the number of people who look South American being stopped? The Asian community must realise that there are dangerous extremists hiding amongst their number and that they need to be found. If the community can't or won't tell us who they are then the police have to attempt to do it and this is a consequence. Unfortunately there are also other Asian groups with political agendas who love to jump on stories like this and make a mountain out of a molehill, and the trendy politically correct politicians are only too happy to pander to them.
David, Slough, UK

Every generation sees another group victimised by the powers-that-be. In the 70s we had the racist sus-laws that targeted black youths. Considering the police themselves are never held responsible for their own actual crimes of brutality and murder, this is particularly sickening.
Miss M Xenos, London

I am tired of stats-driven sensationalist headlines. Please can anyone tell me what the increase was for W1 (White European)? I am W1, I was stopped, and I loved it. I have nothing to hide.
Tom, London, UK

Not all Asians are Muslim; some are Hindu or Sikh etc, so the argument that to stop and search Asians is Islamaphobic is utter nonsense. Stop and search is not about prejudice, it is about crime, and how to reduce it. It is not only acceptable, it is essential.
John, London

I've been stopped and searched - a young English female is hardly going to be a threat? Who knows? You can't take the risk and when most suicide bombers are Islamic Fundamentalists it makes sense for the police to search more Asians. Get over it.
Jennie, Manchester

I think the increase in stop and search on young Asians reflects the change in their society. Asian youth is now no different to white and black youth - they spawn as many anti-social and criminal elements as the white and black communities. Not quite the equality and integration that we were hoping for.
Jez, UK

People with Irish accents used to targeted when the IRA were at large. I do hope the politically correct / it's-so-racist lobby stop and consider the bigger picture and let the police get on with their tough job.
Juliette Simmons, Northampton, UK

I remember being stopped by a squad of six police cars whilst being driven in a car with Irish number plates. The police said it was a random stop. I didn't mind their stopping us and we fully co-operated. The police have a duty to protect the public against a terrorist threat. If the threat comes mainly from Asian looking nationals then that's where the police should concentrate their attention. The rise is entirely justifiable and the Asian community should accept this.
Edwin Thornber, UK/Romania

Two words: offender profile.
Robbo, England

Perfectly acceptable, all the police are doing is trying to protect our country. The innocent have nothing to fear.
Andrew, Dorking, UK

This increase in the searches of Asian's reflects the increase in threat from Islamic terrorist Alan Heath, Nottingham

This increase in the searches of Asian's reflects the increase in threat from Islamic terrorists. It is unfortunate that it difficult to distinguish all the different nationalities that originate from the Middle East. While I can see the point of view from those being stopped as being harassed, surely it is worth the 10 minute inconvenience if just one of the 3000 stops and searches resulted in someone's life being saved? If a terrorist act was to be committed in the country, we would be up in arms if we learned it could of been prevented had a stop and search been carried out.
Alan Heath, Nottingham

Fewer than 10 people a day throughout the UK hardly seems excessive. If the police are making offensive remarks during these checks that would be another matter but as they don't seem to be doing this what exactly is the problem? Should the police stop checking brown people just because they are brown? Isn't that in itself racist?
John Sinclair, Dundee, UK

We should live in the real world. The police have a hard job as it is. When virtually all terrorist attacks these days are by Islamic Fundamentalists and most of the Asians living in the UK are Muslims, who else can the police stop and search. It is nonsense to attach this to a racist program.
Phil Ellis, Manchester

As long as the police are polite and have a justified reason, then what is the problem? Lawrence, London

Personally I think they should increase the levels of stop and searching, especially in the inner cities. I have been stopped on a couple of occasions, and whilst it is very irritating, especially when you are a law abiding citizen, if it stops people carrying offensive weapons and drugs then long may it continue. This may upset people, but it is a fact that stopping and searching as a form of preventative action works. As long as the police are polite and have a justified reason, then what is the problem. Once again, like the ID cards, its the ones who have most to lose who complain the most.
Lawrence, London

It should be obvious that increases in anti-terrorism stop and search are likely to target Asians. Deal with it. It would be a waste of time searching white female OAPs. I'd rather the police offended a few people than have hundreds of people blown to bits because police declined to search Muslims in case they are perceived as racist.
Chris King, Islington

By all means, search anyone that is suspicious, but do not set a distinction. You need just to look at Timothy McVeigh (who blow-up the American FBI building) for things to backfire. Then, Americans thinks terrorists means only Middle Eastern people. Little did they realise that they have their own kind of terrorists.
Jamil, Singapore

My safety is more important than a few people screaming racism Ameet, London

Despite being Asian, I find these searches acceptable. My safety is more important than a few people screaming racism but doing nothing to prevent elements within their community and religion promoting violence
Ameet, London

I think that these searches only confirm people's prejudices and labels Asian Muslims as "terrorists". They should find a more civilised way to cut down on crime. As for those with a young Asian Muslim appearance, I think that they are stereotyped anyway.
Anon, England, UK

If you look at the figures, there is a rise in all groups. No one group can be excluded from the law.
Steve G, Trowbridge, UK

Perhaps people failed to notice 14,000 white people were stopped compared to 3,000 Asian people, this is unacceptable how?
Robert Sutton, Halifax, England

We get abuse from the public when we try to do our duty properly Anon, UK

I am an Asian police officer, couple of week back while I was on uniform duty I spotted an Asian man using mobile phone while driving so I stopped him and issued him wit fixed penalty. Me and my partner been accused of being racist. People don't realise we work hard to keep the community safe. We get abuse from the public when we try to do our duty properly.
Anon, UK

Type casting Asians as terrorists is exactly what a terror group would like to see happen. If we 're really after peace, then start by being peaceful - stop aggressive behaviour towards the Asian community, and stop type casting people who's moral make up requires them to live a peaceful life.
Faz M, London

Of course they aren't unacceptable. I don't see Christian fundamentalist groups plotting to crash aeroplanes into tower blocks. The Asian community has known for years that undesirables are amongst them, and have failed to address these issues in a mistaken belief that religion trumps patriotism. Now they are reaping what they have sown. Blame should also be put at successive governments' policies on inclusion which have allowed this festering sore of terrorism to swell inside our country.
Russell Long, Royal Tunbridge Wells, UK

The Asian community should be welcoming them Mike, London, England

Of course these searches are acceptable. The Asian community should be welcoming them to help us rid ourselves of these Islamic terrorists and their supporters. It is about time the Asian community stopped crying "racist" and started to show support.
Mike, London, England

It is unacceptable. However, it is also unacceptable that the Muslim community do not seem to be that vocal with regard to condemning terror attacks, and extremism within its ranks. Such a move would go a long way to generating understanding, and so reduce stop and searches based on ill-informed preconceptions. (And perhaps the media could do more to make such voices heard).
Matt, Chelmsford, UK

If 1,000 people are searched and a single weapon is found, then it's all worth it. I notice that you don't mention how much of an increase in searches there has been with everyone else...
John, Southampton, UK

At what point does legitimate stop and search become harassment? Neil Stewart, London

At what point does legitimate stop and search become harassment? Where do you draw the line as to when to stop search and what is deemed acceptable to the Asian community? Will someone from the Asian community post an answer please? Whilst the terrorist threat, alleged or otherwise remains, it's inevitable that Asian people will be stopped and searched who are innocent from this community.
Neil Stewart, London

The police are being forced to indulge the government's absurd fantasy that terrorists lurk behind every rock in this country. Random searches are just another desperate ploy to convince people that the so-called war on terror is one that needs to be fought regardless of financial concerns or cost to social freedom or racial relations.
Charlie, Oxford