101,248 people are stopped ... but not a single terror arrest

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Official figures show that 101,248 people were stopped under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act in the 12 month to the end of April.

A total of 506 arrests resulted — about 0.5 per cent of all the searches — but not one was for a terrorist offence. Section 44 gives police powers to conduct searches without grounds for suspicion.

The statistics will heighten concern that the legislation has been used to target people who pose no terror threat.

It increases the pressure on Home Secretary Theresa May to scrap the power when she announces the outcome of a government review this year.

The 101,248 Section 44 searches that were carried out across Britain in the year to April represent a 60 per cent fall on the previous annual tally of 255,680.

In the Met there was a 57 per cent drop the searches, which totalled 80,309 last year compared with the previous annual total of 185,086.

Ms May announced in June that Section 44 searches would be suspended with the exception that police would still be allowed to search vehicles without grounds for suspicion.

Police are no longer able to frisk people without suspicion.

The statistics also show that 173 terrorism arrests took place last year. That compares with 190 in 2008/09 and is lower than the annual average of 216 such arrests since April 2002.

Of the arrests last year, 52 resulted in a charge.

Half of these were terrorism-related, while 41 others were subject to "alternative action" such as deportation by the UK Border Agency.

Further figures show that 25 terrorists were discharged from prison last year, compared with 21 the previous year.

Data on port checks reveals that 0.03 per cent of the 220 million people entering the UK last year were searched.