POLICE in Durham will be asked to explain why they used draconian anti-terrorism laws - allowing officers to stop and search cars - far more than most other forces in Britain.

Home Office figures have revealed that no fewer than 235 vehicles in the Durham force area were stopped during a 12 month period - almost 20 every month.

In contrast, no searches at all were carried out in Cleveland or Northumbria, and only eight in Greater Manchester.

Outside London, only the forces in Sussex (767), Cheshire (385) and South Yorkshire (263) used the anti-terrorism legislation on more occasions.

The 235 searches in Durham did not result in a single arrest. In addition, there were three searches of pedestrians, again with no arrests.

Now, Gerry Steinberg, Labour MP for Durham City, plans to ask Durham police why the powers are being used so often.

Under Section 44 (1) of the Terrorism Act 2000, the police can stop and search vehicles and their occupants if they believe there is a risk of a terrorist act.

The Home Office figures, produced in a Parliamentary answer, cover the 12 months to March 2002. Figures for 2002-2003 will be published later this year.

A Durham Police spokesman said the force had staged an anti-terrorist operation on the A1(M), the A66 linking Durham and Cumbria, the A19 which skirts Sunderland and the A68.

It followed a national alert that explosives had been shipped into Britain.

There was no specific information extremists had brought weapons into Durham.

The spokesman said: "Armed officers in uniform used dogs specially-trained to sniff for explosives in vans and lorries they had stopped.

"Primarily, we acted because of information that explosives had been smuggled into Britain in other parts of the country.

"There was no information specific to Durham, but we decided to mount an operation where we could see and be seen."