Black people in Wiltshire are nearly five times more likely to face stop and search than white people.

Figures from between July to September showed two in every 1,000 black people faced stop and search last year – the highest of any ethnic group in the county.

This heavily contrasts with the 0.22 in every 1,000 white people stopped and search in Wiltshire.

A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said the force was committed to the “Best Use of Stop and Search scheme” and regularly reviewed its objectives.

They added: “Stop and search is an important tactic in preventing and detecting crime and, when it is used appropriately, lawfully and proportionately, it can have a positive impact on keeping our communities safe and building confidence in local policing.

“However, there are understandable concerns, both locally and nationally, about exactly how it is used and whether it disproportionately impacts people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.”

According to the police, anyone who faces stop and search will be invited to give feedback, which is presented to the stop and search scrutiny panel and “considered in future training practices”.

“The panel, which is currently meeting virtually due to Covid, is made up of a diverse representation of our local communities and they review searches conducted by our officers to ensure good practice,” the spokesman continued.

“We understand that stop and search powers are intrusive. If used effectively they remain a legitimate way of preventing crime.

“However, we recognise that its use can have a lasting impact on the communities we serve.

“It is for this reason that we continue to promote transparency which includes body-worn cameras, sharing information on where our powers are used and the introduction of independent scrutiny arrangements.”

Other minority groups in Wiltshire also disproportionately faced stop and search measures in Wiltshire.

The figures revealed that people who identified as Asian were 1.21 times more likely to be stopped and search and those with mixed ethnicity were 2.25 times more likely to face the measures.

Those who identified as Asian were 1.21 times more likely and mixed heritage people 2.25 times more likely.

Of the 522 stop and searches carried out during the period, 70.1 per cent were conducted between 1pm and 12am.

In the stop and search report for the period, the force says it is heavily involved in operations to tackle youth violence and county lines crime.

As a result 54 per cent of those stopped were under 25-years-old with the youngest person who faced stop and search being 12 and the oldest 73.

Of those 522 search 44.6 per cent were undertaken in Swindon, followed by Salisbury which contributed 14.6 per cent. Over 70 per cent involved the police looking for drugs but only 22.5 per cent resulted in police action and 11.1 per cent resulting in arrest.

It was noted that 1.3 per cent of the stop and searches undertaken did not have a recorded outcome.

The report added: “Of the total volume of stop and searches, 69.9 per cent of cases resulted in no object being found and with 28.9 per cent resulted in an object being found. 1.1 per cent of searches did not have this information recorded. Of the searches resulting in an object found, 24.1 per cent were objects related to the reason for the stop and search.”