Stop and search powers are being expanded after a series of knife related incidents in Wandsworth and Merton

A section 60 Order authorised today grants police officers the power to stop and search anyone in Wandsworth between 3:40pm today (Saturday, October 23) and 03:40am on Sunday (October 24)

Sunday Update: Shortly before 10:30am on Sunday (October 24) Wandsworth Police announced via Facebook that the section 60 order followed reports of a group of males armed with weapons in Putney and potentially linked robberies in Mitcham.

Section 60 Order: What is it ?

Ordinarily, police officers can only stop and search people they have a genuine suspicion are carrying drugs, a weapon or stolen goods.

A section 60 Order such as those authorised in Wandsworth and Merton today allows officers to stop and search people with no grounds for suspicion.

In theory, this means the police can stop and search anyone they like. Restraints on how a Section 60 Order is implemented should prevent such a blanket application in reality.

Only a senior police officer – at least the rank of Inspector – can authorise Section 60 searches and they may only do so if there has been serious violence in a particular area, or there is a risk serious violence may occur.

Section 60 Orders can also usually be authorised for 24 hours only. In Wandsworth the power expires after twelve hours.

Section 60 Orders in Wandsworth and Merton

In an announcement on Twitter, a Wandsworth police spokesperson said the authorised section 60 Order followed a number of knife related incidents.

They said: "A section 60 has been authorised from 340pm today until 0340am Sun 24/10/21by Inspector Croucher.

"The areas affected are the whole of the London Boroughs of Merton and Wandsworth, this is due to a number of knife related incidents this afternoon."

A spokesperson for Wandsworth Police shared additional information on Facebook on Sunday, which said: "On 23 October police received reports of a group of males who were seen armed with weapons in the #Putney area.

"Police also received two unconfirmed reports of potentially linked robberies in #Mitcham.

"Additional officers were deployed in and around the local areas to provide reassurance and a section 60 order was put in place covering the Boroughs of #Merton and #Wandsworth overnight.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 and quote CAD 4506/23Oct.

Further information on section 60 orders can be found in a video

Wandsworth Police shared on Facebook.

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