Cheshire Police carried out 13,675 stop searches over the past year and 160 strip searches which involved the 'exposure of intimate parts'.

The 2025/26 figures were released by the force following a request by the county's police and crime panel, which had also asked for a breakdown of the numbers, including ethnicity and children.

They revealed that of the 13,675 stop searches, 32 per cent resulted in action being taken, such as arrests, summons or community resolution.

The figures also showed that 11,701 of the stop searches involved white individuals, 1,268 involved those of a minority ethnicity and in 706 cases the ethnicity was not stated

Where the individual was white, 32 per cent resulted in action being taken.

Where the individual was of a minority ethnicity, 38 per cent resulted in action being taken.

Deputy police and crime commissioner Gemma Southern said she understood these figures were broadly in line with the national picture.

The question from the panel about strip searches led to clarification in the written response from the constabulary.

advertisement

There are two categories:

• a 'more thorough search' – which involves the removal of more than jacket, outer clothing or gloves but does not expose intimate parts of the body;
• exposure of intimate parts – which involves the removal of more than jacket, outer clothing or gloves and does expose intimate parts of the body.

The force stressed a 'strip search' is not an 'intimate search' which involves a physical examination of body orifices.

These are not permitted under stop search powers and can only be undertaken post arrest with a much higher level of authorisation and are undertaken in a medical setting.

The figures revealed that in 2025/26 there were 31 'more thorough searches'.

Six related to individuals under the age of 18, three to females, 24 to white individuals, four to people of a minority ethnicity and three with no ethnicity stated.

There were 160 searches which involved the 'exposure of intimate parts', and 93 related to the Creamfields festival.

Of the total number, four involved individuals under the age of 18, 56 were female, 142 were white individuals, 15 of minority ethnicity, and three with no ethnicity stated.

Cllr Sam Naylor (CWAC, Lab) said: "When you take the population of Cheshire, which is what, more than a million, these figures are a very, very small percentage of the population, because there's a perception out there in the public the police are doing this on a regular basis, which clearly is not substantiated by the statistics."

advertisement

Cllr Keith Millar (CWAC, Lab) said he would like to know how many arrests had been made in relation to the 160 searched.

The deputy commissioner said she would ask the force for this information.

She told the panel: "In reality, a strip search… could be something as simple as coming in with wet clothing or with vomit on the clothing, and it has to be removed, and they have to be given a piece of custody clothing – that would be classed as a strip search.

"The more intimate search is something that is much more heavily regulated and scrutinised…

"We also review custody footage every single month, so, just to reassure you, it is something that is really heavily scrutinised by custody visitors, by viewing footage, by various committees that we have."