SUSPECTS stopped and searched by Hampshire Constabulary were found to be carrying nothing of interest in more than half of cases last year.

Home Office figures show stop and search powers were used 8,715 times by the force in 2017, a decrease of four per cent on the previous year.

Just 23 per cent of searches led to an arrest or a summons to court, and in 59 per cent of cases suspects were found to be within the law.

The policy has been in the spotlight recently, with growing concern over knife and drug offences.

In the majority of incidents, 54 per cent, people were searched on suspicion of drug possession.

Suspicion of carrying offensive weapons, such as knives, accounted for 618 searches.

A further 61 suspects were searched for firearms, with 16 arrested or charged.

Across England and Wales, 38 forces reported their stop and search incidents, and overall there were 17 per cent fewer in 2017 compared with the previous year.