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Hundreds of illegal searches carried out at airport
4:16pm Wednesday 12th December 2007
Police have carried out illegal stop and searches on hundreds of passengers at Gatwick airport, ministers have revealed.
Sussex Police failed to win the correct authorisation for anti-terrorist searches conducted during three weeks in September due to a paperwork blunder.
And when the mistake came to light it was discovered that a similar gaffe took place in 2003, Home Office minister Tony McNulty disclosed in a written statement to MPs.
Officials at the Home Office are now reviewing all the paperwork connected with stop and search tactics under the Terrorism Act 2000 in case other mistakes have occurred.
Sussex Police are also sending apologies to nearly 260 people they stopped and searched illegally.
Chief constables must apply to the Home Secretary for permission to use this special type of stop and search, which grants officers the power to stop an individual without "reasonable grounds" that a crime is in progress.
Mr McNulty said: "The application by Sussex Police, dated September 3 2007, did not follow the recognised procedure.
"Forces submit applications to the National Joint Unit at the Metropolitan Police Service which are then sent to the Home Office for ministerial authorisation.
"In this case, due primarily to a process failure, the application was not passed to the Home Office ... but the force continued to use the powers for the period up to September 25."
He added: "Sussex Police has confirmed that 259 stop and searches were carried out at Gatwick Airport during the unauthorised period.
"No arrests occurred as a result of these stop and searches.
"However, Sussex Police will shortly be writing to all of the individuals concerned to apologise."
The minister said he later found out that a similar incident occurred in June 2003.
He said: "All steps have now been taken to ensure ... that such regrettable and serious omissions do not occur again."
Mr McNulty added that officials had now drawn up more "robust systems" to avoid a repeat of the gaffe, and were reviewing previous authorisations of the powers to check if they had been used in error at any other times.
A Sussex Police spokesman said the force accepted full responsibility for the paperwork blunder.
He said: "Sussex Police is writing to all the people who were stopped during the relevant period explaining why the checks were carried out and apologising for our error."
Were you stopped and searched at Gatwick during that time? Tell us your stories below.
Your Say YourArgus
PH, Hove says...
5:01pm Wed 12 Dec 07
fact, says...
5:17pm Wed 12 Dec 07
plod, sussex says...
6:25pm Wed 12 Dec 07
PH wrote:wht worries me is that if you dont go along with it then there is presumed guilt...Democracy quite cleary states innocent until proven guilty..We are slipping slowly into an orwellian state me friend...
If you've nothing to hide, you shouldn't have a problem with it. The alternative is being flown into a building at over 500 miles per hour by a deranged fundamentalist in the name of 'the religion of peace'
Duncan, Brighton says...
6:37pm Wed 12 Dec 07
PH wrote:But they didn't need to have reasonable grounds and they searched people anyway. Presumably why there were no arrests.
If you\'ve nothing to hide, you shouldn\'t have a problem with it. The alternative is being flown into a building at over 500 miles per hour by a deranged fundamentalist in the name of \'the religion of peace\'
Surely it would be more efficient to search people only when there are reasonable grounds and then they'd be more likely to catch terrorists and other criminals?
mike, brighton says...
6:39pm Wed 12 Dec 07
Duncan wrote:at this rate it's more likely the guilty will slip through the net because they're too busy stopping and searching the innocent. so, actually, i do have a problem with it.
PH wrote: If you\'ve nothing to hide, you shouldn\'t have a problem with it. The alternative is being flown into a building at over 500 miles per hour by a deranged fundamentalist in the name of \'the religion of peace\'But they didn't need to have reasonable grounds and they searched people anyway. Presumably why there were no arrests. Surely it would be more efficient to search people only when there are reasonable grounds and then they'd be more likely to catch terrorists and other criminals?
Cabbie Mick, A23 on the way to LGW says...
7:01pm Wed 12 Dec 07
fact, says...
7:05pm Wed 12 Dec 07
maybe fact, says...
7:31pm Wed 12 Dec 07
Tez, Third planet says...
11:33pm Wed 12 Dec 07
Disgusted, Eastbourne says...
4:55am Thu 13 Dec 07
God save us from Northern and Scottish gits.
kickboxer, Worthing says...
8:58am Thu 13 Dec 07
Cabbie Mick wrote:You did not give me your plate number you muppet your just a bottle job and not even a real cabbie as you can't even tell the difference between a PLATE number and a CAB number
Alright me ol muckers, anyone seen that kittyboxer? No, didn't think so. That muppet kickboxer supposed to meet me last week giv im me cab number no call so i tracked him down, found him inside Haggis me ol mucker. Whats all this searching going on I had to search me mate mio solonly, he hid the soap from me. I once had that Tony Blair in me cab once went too fast for him, too rough apparently. Still micky mouse Haggis whinging git.
Cabbie Mick, Montpellier road says...
9:27am Thu 13 Dec 07
kickboxer wrote:Kittyboxer me ol milk spewer. I giv you me number you didn't show, give me a meet place and I'll come to mow. Your to busy suckng cats nipples to be anything other than a little kitty lita muncher. you little punk me and me cabbie mates will chew you up like kitty paste. Oi kitty boxer got any wet wipes as i should think your leaking mud right now. Muppet boxer in worthing, your pathetic lttle boy, maggot boy thats what we'll call you after you've been exposed. Maggot boy kittly licker boxer, you maggot.
Cabbie Mick wrote: Alright me ol muckers, anyone seen that kittyboxer? No, didn't think so. That muppet kickboxer supposed to meet me last week giv im me cab number no call so i tracked him down, found him inside Haggis me ol mucker. Whats all this searching going on I had to search me mate mio solonly, he hid the soap from me. I once had that Tony Blair in me cab once went too fast for him, too rough apparently. Still micky mouse Haggis whinging git.You did not give me your plate number you muppet your just a bottle job and not even a real cabbie as you can't even tell the difference between a PLATE number and a CAB number
kickboxer, Worthing says...
2:24pm Thu 13 Dec 07
Cabbie Mick wrote:How stressed! I think you have been shown up to be a BOTTLE JOB as I can PROVE you didn't give me your plate number I also done some asking at the taxi rank at Brighton and no one has heard of you. So go on a diet you fat git, get out from behind your computer and get some exercise because getting that stressed isn't good for you and hopefully you'll have a heart attack.
kickboxer wrote:Kittyboxer me ol milk spewer. I giv you me number you didn\'t show, give me a meet place and I\'ll come to mow. Your to busy suckng cats nipples to be anything other than a little kitty lita muncher. you little punk me and me cabbie mates will chew you up like kitty paste. Oi kitty boxer got any wet wipes as i should think your leaking mud right now. Muppet boxer in worthing, your pathetic lttle boy, maggot boy thats what we\'ll call you after you\'ve been exposed. Maggot boy kittly licker boxer, you maggot.
Cabbie Mick wrote: Alright me ol muckers, anyone seen that kittyboxer? No, didn\'t think so. That muppet kickboxer supposed to meet me last week giv im me cab number no call so i tracked him down, found him inside Haggis me ol mucker. Whats all this searching going on I had to search me mate mio solonly, he hid the soap from me. I once had that Tony Blair in me cab once went too fast for him, too rough apparently. Still micky mouse Haggis whinging git.You did not give me your plate number you muppet your just a bottle job and not even a real cabbie as you can\'t even tell the difference between a PLATE number and a CAB number
Cabbie mick, says...
7:41pm Thu 13 Dec 07
kickboxer wrote:832 you muppet kitty licker boxer? my cabbie a$$
Cabbie Mick wrote:How stressed! I think you have been shown up to be a BOTTLE JOB as I can PROVE you didn't give me your plate number I also done some asking at the taxi rank at Brighton and no one has heard of you. So go on a diet you fat git, get out from behind your computer and get some exercise because getting that stressed isn't good for you and hopefully you'll have a heart attack.kickboxer wrote:Kittyboxer me ol milk spewer. I giv you me number you didn\'t show, give me a meet place and I\'ll come to mow. Your to busy suckng cats nipples to be anything other than a little kitty lita muncher. you little punk me and me cabbie mates will chew you up like kitty paste. Oi kitty boxer got any wet wipes as i should think your leaking mud right now. Muppet boxer in worthing, your pathetic lttle boy, maggot boy thats what we\'ll call you after you\'ve been exposed. Maggot boy kittly licker boxer, you maggot.Cabbie Mick wrote: Alright me ol muckers, anyone seen that kittyboxer? No, didn\'t think so. That muppet kickboxer supposed to meet me last week giv im me cab number no call so i tracked him down, found him inside Haggis me ol mucker. Whats all this searching going on I had to search me mate mio solonly, he hid the soap from me. I once had that Tony Blair in me cab once went too fast for him, too rough apparently. Still micky mouse Haggis whinging git.You did not give me your plate number you muppet your just a bottle job and not even a real cabbie as you can\'t even tell the difference between a PLATE number and a CAB number
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Citizen, BH says...
4:26pm Wed 12 Dec 07