HUNDREDS of airport-style metal detectors are to be deployed by police on Britain’s streets under aggressive plans by the government to combat soaring knife crime.

Ministers will tomorrow announce extra cash to help police forces across England and Wales buy the mobile scanning arches for use outside pubs, clubs, schools and other places where youths are suspected to be taking knives.

The collapsible, walk-through scanners are small enough to fit into the boot of a police car. Operated by a single constable, they can be erected in five minutes.

Shami Chakrabarti, director of the human rights group Liberty, warned that “electronic stop and search” could have an “incendiary” effect on community relations, unless handled sensitively. She said it could create further tensions if mishandled by police on crowded inner-city streets.

The move comes amid growing concern that ministers have failed to get to grips with the spread of knife crime, which led to 258 deaths in 2006-07 compared with 219 the previous year, a rise of 18%.

Under existing laws, uniformed police have the right to stop and search any individual or vehicle within a designated area during a specific period of time to prevent serious violence and the carrying of weapons.

Clubs, pubs and other private premises do not need any new legal powers because they can make all customers pass through such detectors as a condition of entry. Under new powers granted by parliament last year, head teachers have the legal authority to search any child who goes into their school.

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