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Police sued by drug charity boss over sniffer dog search
Justin Davenport, Crime Correspondent03.08.09
A director of a national drugs charity is suing police for damages after he was targeted by a sniffer dog at a Tube station.
Sebastian Saville, executive director of the charity Release, accuses British Transport Police of acting unlawfully by using drug dogs to target potential suspects at Camden Town station.
Mr Saville, 56, is claiming officers used a tactic called "funnelling" to force him into the path of the sniffer dog. He says that in doing so they breached their own guidelines and his human rights.
A reformed heroin addict, he was stopped at Camden Tube in June on his way to work. As he reached the top of the escalators his way was blocked by officers and a dog.
"I strode past them, only to hear the dog bark loudly, " he says. "I was approached by two officers and informed that I had been selected for a search by the dog."
In a High Court writ he describes how he was asked to empty his pockets, which contained only his keys, wallet and some black peppercorns.
Mr Saville, who became executive director of Release in June 2003, argues there was no reason for police to suspect he was carrying any illegal drug. He was selected as a suspected criminal, and was inconvenienced, annoyed, and his personal integrity was violated, he claims.
He argues that police guidelines say people should not be funnelled past a sniffer dog and that officers breached his right to personal integrity and respect for private life. He also claims the dogs are unreliable.
In an article written after he was stopped, Mr Saville said on-the-spot checks by dogs had become a familiar tactic on the Underground, but "its encroachment on our receding civil liberties is considerable."
He claimed placing the dog at the top of the escalator constituted "funnelling" and was contrary to the Association of Chief Police Officers guidlines.
He also questioned whether the tactic was the best use of the resources of 12 to 15 police officers. "The objective may be to prevent drug use, but the drug trade is resilient to such measures," he added.
A British Transport Police spokeswoman said: "BTP is determined to keep the Underground safe as we continue to drive down crime. We use a range of tactics including drugs dogs, explosive search dogs and metal detecting arches to keep passengers safe."
The spokeswoman added: "We are aware of the allegations made by Mr Saville and we are investigating them." Release said it was backing Mr Saville in his battle.
In an interview two years ago Mr Saville told how he had dropped out of public school in the mid-eighties and ended up as a heroin addict, destitute on the streets of Bangkok.
He stopped taking the drug and began working at a needle exchange for addicts at St Mary's Hospital. Mr Saville, who is married with a son, went on to work for the charity Turning Point.
Reader views (8)
To Duncan Walker - read the comments, that's how someone can say 'they' have the support of the majority.And Mr Saville - you should be ashamed of yourself and start becoming an example by supporting the police, your complaint smacks of sticking two fingers up to the victims of crime - think about it.
- Steve Scott, Morpeth, Northumberland
For someone working for a drugs charity to object to measures to combat drug use is scandalous and as a result his position is clearly untenable and he must resign or be sacked.
- Katie Jackson, London
Human Rights Campaigners, whatever next? it is a minor inconvenience to be stopped by the police in such a manner. If you have nothing to feel guilty about, then you should have nothing to worry about. What sort of person would sue the police, who would take money away from an already underfunded police force, a whole complaint based upon greed and publicity. Carrying ordinary brown sauce, is not a criminal offence
- Mark, Brixton, London
Doesn't everyone walk around with peppercorns in their pockets??? What next are they going to pick on all casual carriers of condiments? I won't feel comfortable carrying my standby sachet of brown sauce with me anymore!
- Chris, bromley
A quick note to Duncan Walker - the use of illegal drugs and their trafficking are responsible for huge amounts of violent crime. We may not be able to win the war on drugs but that doesn't mean we should fight it. Drug users in this country are responsible for burglaries and muggings every day, each of these crimes has a victim of each side. Many poor and unfortunate people die bringing those drugs to the UK. The violence employed by the drug gangs is barbaric. Those members of our society who misuse drugs must take full responsibility for the utter misery they cause throughout the world. You may only look at the "acceptable face" of a few who smoke a bit of weed but scratch the surface and the true horror comes to light.
- Dannyp, Egham
Black peppercorns are used to cover the smell of drugs during smuggling. As an ex heroin addict he should know this and accept that is what the dog identified. The dog was doing exactly as he has been trained. If he has nothing to hide then a quick search by the police will clear all matters up and he will be on his way. I get searched at airports due to the routes I travel, which are known drug trafficking routes. But that does not make me a trafficker and I accept the two or three minute delay without question. I am quickly cleared of any suspicion and allowed to pass freely. Just because you are selected for a search does not make you a suspected criminal. It is simply a fact of modern life imposed on society because of the continued misuse of illegal drugs. Mr Saville should be all too aware of the problems caused in society by drug misuse.
- Dannyp, Egham
How can you say they have the support of the vast majority of the people? I certainly would rather these police were tackling violent criminals or searching people for weapons. I was never afraid of somebody walking past me with a bit of weed in their pocket but would not like to think they were armed.
This so called war on drugs has been going on now for around 60 years ad been an abject failure. It is time to admit the fact and have a sensible and balanced debate on the next way of controlling these drugs!
- Duncan Walker, Ex Peckham now Thailand
The police are just doing their job, and have the support of the vast majority of people in this kind of activity. This man is just wasting everybody`s time. Is it a publicity stunt?
- Monty, Tottenham, London
