A top councillor has said stop and search can “create perverse consequences” but has not raised his concerns with police.

Research has found black people are 4.6 times more likely to be searched in Lewisham, while more than 90 per cent of those searched by police are male.

During a mayor and cabinet discussion on the programme’s impact on community relations, cabinet member for children and young people, Chris Barnham, said he felt the “balance is slightly wrong”.

His comments followed calls from fellow councillors for police to undergo anti-discrimination training.

He said: “I personally have been really surprised to hear from my own son, who in many ways is white, privileged, [and] middle class, how negative he has become about the police based on what his friends have experienced and what they have told him and I do think it’s a really serious concern.”

He went on to praise the councillor’s report which made calls for police to undergo unconscious bias training and for young people to be given ‘know your rights’ cards.

The calls are being considered by the cabinet member for safer communities, Cllr Joani Reid, and a council boss.

He said: “I think the report is good for the balance that it strikes. It’s not suggesting stop and search isn’t a technique that should be used, it’s obviously really important, but it does feel to me as though the balance is slightly wrong in some cases and is creating perverse consequences.” 

But when asked whether he had raised his concerns with police as the cabinet member for children and young people, Cllr Barnham declined to comment.

He said he had not seen any “incidents” to support his opinion.

As part of their research, the councillors also looked into the local impact of anti-terrorism programme Prevent, but were hindered by a shortage of data.