The number of people from Asian backgrounds stopped and searched by police has increased by 300% since the Terrorism Act 2000 came into force. Home Office figures for England and Wales show that in 2002/2003 nearly 3,000 Asians were stopped and searched. The total number of stop and searches under terror laws more than doubled in 2002/2003 from 8,550 to 21,577. Muslim groups have criticised the rise, saying it showed prejudice and “Islamophobia” were evident.

BBC News, 2 July 2004