Mother outraged as Met officers stop and search her nine-year-old son

Sandra Shepherd's son Jadan was with his older brother and friends in the street in Lambeth when they were questioned.

Miss Shepherd, 40, a single mother, said the children were minding their own business when a police van pulled up. She said: "The police said there had been a couple of stabbings recently but didn't explain any more. They just patted Jadan's pockets and gave him a receipt. When Jadan came home he just slammed the door and said he didn't want to talk about it.

"I later asked him if he was frightened by it. He said he wasn't, but I think he's hiding his feelings."

Police routinely search children in the fight against knife crime. So far this year 11 teenagers have been murdered in London, eight of them stabbed to death. In Lambeth 234 children between 10 and 17 were accused of violence last year.

A Met spokesman said tougher search powers had been ordered in the borough at the time because of two stabbings near the Marcus Lipton youth centre in Minet Road. Recent figures released under Freedom of Information rules revealed that thousands of children under the age of 10 are stopped and searched for drugs, weapons or stolen goods each year.

In 2007 and last year the Met stopped 939 children under 10.

Police say this reflects a trend for younger children to be involved in crime. One source said: "These officers are just checking that the children are not carrying weapons. They are not doing anything else to them.

"Sadly, children committing crime are becoming younger and younger." Police stopped Jadan under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act which allows them to search anyone they believe is carrying a weapon or anyone in the area near a violent incident.

Miss Shepherd said: "I can understand that older kids might give younger kids things to carry. But with the younger ones I think police should contact parents or at least get a member of the public to witness it."

Lambeth police superintendent David Musker said: "This matter has been reported to the Department for Professional Standards and will be investigated. It is inappropriate to comment at this stage. However, I would like to reassure the communities of Lambeth that the Met takes all complaints seriously."