UK police to use anti-terror powers at 2012 games

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British police are planning to use anti-terror laws to stop and search members of the public during the 2012 Olympic Games, The Times newspaper said on Monday.

Steve Thomas, Olympic National Transport Security Co-ordinator for the Home Office, said tougher security measures were planned given the heightened threat Britain is likely to face during the 2012 Games.

"If there is a severe level of threat we will be looking to use Section 44 at every Underground and railway station," Thomas said.

Under the laws, police would be able to stop and search members of the public at underground and railway stations across Britain without any suspicion they were involved in acts of terrorism, the paper said.

Last month Britain raised its terrorism threat level to 'severe' -- the second highest level -- in the days before London hosted international meetings on Afghanistan and Yemen.

Britain gave no reason for the raise in threat level but it means security services now consider an attack in Britain to be "highly likely".