PM's secret stalker squad has power to detain indefinitely

PM's secret stalker squad has power to detain indefinitely
By Ruth Elkins
Published: 27 May 2007

A new national anti-terrorist unit to protect the Prime Minister and the Royal Family from stalkers has been secretly set up with powers to detain people under mental health laws.

The Fixated Threat Assessment Centre (FTAC) was established last year with the aim of identifying individuals who pose a danger to important public figures in Britain, reported The Mail on Sunday. Since its inception the agency, which is also intended to protect members of the Cabinet, has been given powers to investigate more than 10,000 individuals to identify mentally unstable stalkers and potential killers fixated on public figures.

The news is thought likely to reignite debate on the harshness of government measures used to deal with terror suspects.

The FTAC, part of the Metropolitan Police's specialist operations department, which oversees anti-terrorism and royal and diplomatic protection, has the legal right to detain people indefinitely without trial, criminal charges or evidence of a crime being committed.

The unit's team of psychiatrists and psychologists have the power to prescribe treatment for suspected stalkers, including detaining them in secure psychiatric units.