RADICAL powers introduced on Friday will give new rights to people stopped by Merseyside Police.

According to the new procedures, anyone approached by a police officer, special constable or community support officer is entitled to a written record of the reason why they have been stopped.

The change is a national requirement brought about following the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry in 1999, aiming to make police more accountable to the public and the procedures more straightforward.

Inspector Tony Dean, from Merseyside Police Community Relations Department, said: "This is not intended to stop the day-to-day interactions between police officers and members of the community. It is intended to provide an accountable and professional, recorded response on those occasions where officers have to stop members of the public and ask them to account for themselves."

The force believes the stop and account procedures are an effective way of preventing and detecting crime, while enhancing public reassurance and confidence.

Officers will be expected to record a multitude of details including the person's name, the date they were stopped, time and place of encounter, vehicle registration number if applicable and ethnic origin.