THE BIG RETORT

These new anti-terror powers are worthy of Commons sense. S ome years back I was puzzled to see scores of uniformed police officers in body-protection armour and Dayglo jackets, accompanied by sniffer dogs, stopping, questioning and searching commuters as they exited a London tube station. The dogs were quite nice. It was their masters who were the Rottweilers. When I enquired abut the operation, a police officer quipped, "It's part of a strategy by Ken Livingstone and Transport for London.' When I pointed out that it seemed a bit over the top, he responded loudly, 'What are you - a bloody anarchist!" An attempt to photograph this quite visible - the police later claimed sensitive - operation led to my being questioned and detained at length (ten minutes) under... the Prevention of Terrorism Act. All this despite the fact that I was pushing a pram with my baby daughter inside, and despite the fact that I had asked an officer's permission ...