The number of Asian and black people stopped and searched in London streets by police using anti-terrorism powers increased more than 12 fold after the July 7 bombings, The Guardian has learned.
In the two months after three underground trains and a bus were bombed more than 10,000 people were stopped and searched by the Metropolitan police. None of the searches resulted in an arrest or a charge related to terrorism.
Before the attacks Asian people were already more likely than their white fellow Londoners to be stopped under counter terrorism powers, according to police figures. But the gulf grew bigger after the attacks. According to Met figures 2,405 Asian and black people were stopped while walking, compared with 196 last year.