Figures released to Labour MSP Ken Macintosh reveal that the police carried out 7,508 stop and searches in the local authority over the year between April 2013 and March 2014.

The information was provided after Macintosh raised the concerns of a young constituent who was concerned he had been stopped several times in his car and more recently whilst out walking.

The local figures come after it was revealed that people in Scotland are four times more likely to be stopped and searched than those in England and twice as likely as those in London, and Police Scotland has been under mounting pressure to change how it handles stop searches.

Parliament heard recently that children under the age of 12 were still being stopped and searched in Scotland despite assurances to a Holyrood Committee from Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Mawson that the practice was “indefensible”.

Ken Macintosh, (pictured) said: “I find these figures quite staggering. I entirely support the Police in doing their job and keeping us all safe, but East Renfrewshire has one of the lowest crime rates in the country. Now we find that the police are stopping and searching local residents on average 20 times a day. “It is very difficult to accept that these searches can all be “evidence led” as is supposed to be the case.” East Renfrewshire’s police services have enjoyed positive statistics over the last two years, with drops in crime across almost every area apart from serious assaults and domestic abuse incidents.

However Macintosh is worried that continued targeting of young people with stop searches will “poison” community and police relations.

He continued: “My worry is that instead of making us feel more secure, this approach will poison relations between the police and young people in the area and create an atmosphere of mistrust. The reason I made my inquiry was because a young constituent complained of feeling harassed and picked on with no justification. “We know that almost two thirds of stop and searches across Scotland involve people under the age of 25. Young people need the protection of the police more than most of us in the community and want to know the police are on their side.

“I was disappointed that I am making further inquiries of the Chief Constable and raising this matter in the Scottish Parliament. “I believe people in East Renfrewshire want a police service not a police force.”