"The police are just doing their job. If a man deals in crack, he is a dog. They should take all the crack dealers and drown them in the Thames," said Earl Brown, as he fried plantain.

Mr Brown and his nephew Leroy Taylor run the Bushman's Kitchen, a Caribbean food stall in Brixton market.

The dealers are dealing blatantly and the kids are running wild

Jay Myers

He is aware of the figures showing that black people are eight times more likely to be stopped than whites.

But he did not accuse the police of racism and said they were right to stop black youths if they suspected them of mugging or dealing in drugs.

"Crack killed a generation before it was even born," he said.

Many residents realise the police have a tough job

But Mr Taylor said the problem was that police were tackling the small fry, who bought and sold crack to finance their own habit.

"They should go for those who are doing the dealing big time, not the little guy," he said.

Jay Myers, 30, also backed the law enforcers, saying: "The police are just doing their job but it's too little too late.

'Free country'

"The dealers are dealing blatantly and the kids are running wild."

He said Lambeth had become a "dumping ground" for drug addicts and murderers, and said policing the area was a tough job.

But he added: "Some of these guys straight out of Hendon [police college] are a bit much. I saw them with one kid, a dealer, he was screaming and they were saying he had something in his mouth.

"I said to them 'How can he have something in his mouth when he's screaming?'."

Hard drugs are creating havoc in Brixton

One young man said black youths were routinely stopped for no reason.

Michael Simpson, 22, said CCTV cameras should be installed to monitor the police themselves.

"When you ask why have they stopped you, they say 'You looked suspicious because you were walking up and down the street'. Man, it's a free country!," said Mr Simpson.

He added: "I know there has to be law and I don't hate the police but it's ridiculous down here."

It makes you feel angry and lacking in confidence in the police

Michael John Stop and search victim

Stewart Horwood, a market trader, said: "I've seen what goes on. I'm not going to name names but the majority of street crime is committed by black kids, there's no getting away from that.

"The police are just doing their job. If somebody says I've been mugged by a black youth they are not going to go looking for white guys, are they?"

But Michael John, a security officer, said he had been the victim of a stop and search in nearby Stockwell five years ago when he was entirely innocent.

He said: "At the time I was working as a labourer on a building site.

Some people blame inequality and poverty for crime

"One night I was walking home from work and I was stopped by the police.

"They said they were looking for someone about a mugging in Peckham and they said the mugger was black and had a red hat, like I was wearing.

"That was the only reason I was stopped. They searched my bag and didn't find anything.

"It makes you feel angry and lacking in confidence in the police."

But Lynette Forrester, who has lived in the Brixton area for 42 years, also supported the police.

She said: "They are doing their best. There is so much drugs, guns and robberies."

Mrs Forrester, who is black, said: "Perhaps black people are just more guilty than whites.

"It is a lot to do with black people themselves. They have put themselves in a situation where the police have to stop them."