If you are stopped or searched it doesn’t mean you have done something wrong. But a police officer must have a good reason for stopping or searching you and should tell you what this is.

There are occasions when police officers can search anyone within a certain area, for example when there is evidence that serious violence could take place there, or a terrorist threat has been identified. The officer should explain this to you and must be searching for items to be used in connection with terrorism or violence.

You should not be stopped just because of your age, race, ethnic background, nationality, religion or faith, the way you look, the language you speak or because you have committed a crime in the past. If you believe this is the case, you can complain. (See “How can I Complain?”) The only exception to this would be on very rare occasions where there is a specific terrorist threat.