Nationally, politicians and police commentators have warned of the danger new stop and search powers could be seen to target particular groups.

In Wiltshire in 2017/18, black people were nine times more likely to be stopped and searched by officers than white people, with a rate of 11.66 people searched by 1,000 compared to 1.25 white people per 1,000.

Junab Ali, a councillor for Swindon’s central ward and the town’s first Bangladeshi-born mayor, said it was important stop and search powers were not used disproportionately against minorities.

Here's what you told us on Facebook...

Kylie Soylemez: I don't care who is stopped and searched if it gets weapons off the street and everyone should be glad of it!

Sean Close: Since mass immigration London in particular has more stabbings than New York, and the rest of the country is becoming just as bad. Doesn’t that tell you something?

Michael Macgregor-Fairlie: The issues are because of youth centres and whatnot shutting down; children have nowhere to go to do things, so gangs infiltrate and establish themselves in the community.

Sylvester King: If it's for the prevention of crime then I guess nothing to worry about and if you feel harassed there are ways to make a complaint and get it investigated.

Andy Harrison: With so many now carrying weapons its in the public safety to have this policy. If you've nothing to hide then you've nothing to worry about and no doubt it'll take very little time. We should think ourselves lucky, in many countries you already go through security checks when entering many public buildings

Richard David Limbrick: Good. They come over and bully the young into selling drugs. I welcome this!

John James Booth: Mmm, scapegoating comes to mind, all and anyone whom the police feel ought be stopped and searched, no matter what colour, creed, religion etc. Too many young kids carrying knives, and if these people want to do that then they risk playing with the big lads, being armed police and the extreme possibility of being shot dead.

Sean O'Sullivan: Well according to the statistics minorities are five times more likely to perpetrate crime. The Met Police national database for crimes and murders for reference to these stats. Sorry if the truth triggers, it tends to do that.

Daniel Adams: Nice to see Labour looking after criminals at the expense of the law-abiding public.

Michael Williams: Should be more, why worry if you've nothing to hide?

Elly Ktr Kitururu: People whining about everything nowadays. And they don't find a knife, then where is the harm?

Scott King: If you're walking the streets in gangs wearing hoodies, regardless of colour, race or

nationality you should get searched if acting suspicious. If you meet this criteria it's not racist, it's only racist to the people who are getting stopped and have something to hide. More and more the race card is used by people who them selves could be racist or are guilty of something. Surely anyone who wants safe streets would not mind getting searched if they have nothing to hide.

Phil Paton: I would have absolutely no problem being stopped and searched as I have nothing to hide, but some context should be included in this article, My guess is young males commit more crimes than old ladies so it makes sense that young males are targeted and if statistics show that males from ethnic minorities commit more crimes than non ethnic minority groups then again it makes more sense to target that group.