Police in Greenwich have been given special stop-and-search powers tonight across a number of wards.

The Section 60 order will be in effect until 3am tomorrow morning and will cover Woolwich, Thamesmead West, Plumstead and Abbey Wood.

What is a Section 60?

A Section 60 gives the police permission to stop and search anyone they believe, with good reason, may commit a serious assault or someone they suspect to be carrying a dangerous weapon.

Officers say that supervision, scrutiny and accountability are seen as key factors to ensure the ‘trust and confidence’ of communities in the use of this power.

The authorising officer must have reasonable grounds to implement the power and they must believe it is necessary to use this power.

An officer of superintendent rank will be responsible for overseeing the operational use of a Section 60, which will include informing relevant community members of the purpose and success of such an operation.

Even though a Section 60 has been authorised this evening, officers still have the option to use other search powers where reasonable grounds to search exist.