New powers to relocate terror suspects revealed

Theresa May yesterday announced draft emergency measures to relocate terror suspects, months after pledging to scrap similar government powers to order a suspect to move to a new home.

The power to force a suspect to leave their home address was dropped following a review by the Coalition Government. In its place, the Home Secretary is introducing "terrorist prevention measures" (Tpims) from next year.

Critics have protested that Tpims amount to a "control order-lite" system under which the liberty of people who have not been convicted of a crime is still curtailed.

Ms May said the new relocation power would only be invoked in times of emergency – and after it had been approved by the Commons.

But Shami Chakrabarti, the director of Liberty, said: "Community punishments without charge remain unsafe and unfair."

Under plans for the emergency legislation, which were published yesterday, the Home Secretary would be able to specify more stringent restrictions on terror suspects in "exceptional circumstances".

* Britain's involvement in the war in Iraq galvanised support for al-Qa'ida among Muslims in the UK, former MI5 chief Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller said last night. In a lecture in London, she said it provided a battleground on which "Jihad" could be fought.