Hijackers may target executive jets - UK watchdog

LONDON, June 19 (Reuters) The executive jet industry must be better regulated to avoid hijackings for terrorist attacks, a British government watchdog said today.

Lord Carlile, the Home Office's independent reviewer of terrorism laws, said companies that rent out flying hours in executive jets to businessmen and wealthy travellers should be subject to European Union and UK security regulations.

''It is possible to purchase, from reputable international companies, piloted flying hours in sophisticated executive jets capable of high speed travel from continent to continent. The risk of hijacking of such aircraft is not fanciful,'' Carlile said in a report on Britain's anti-terrorism laws.

Schemes that offer shared ownership of executive jets should also be subject to tighter controls.

The September. 11 plane attacks on New York and Washington have raised fears that the growing executive jet industry could be vulnerable to hijackings.

Carlile said the government and the aviation industry must ensure passenger information was fully available and that the aircraft were being policed internationally.

''The operators, wishing to retain their certifications and reputations, have a strong interest in full cooperation with the authorities,'' he added. ''The important thing is that there should always be a vigilant watch for the unusual and unexpected.'' In his report into the operation last year of the Terrorism Act 2000, Carlile also said British police were overusing anti-terrorism stop and search powers that have not been found to prevent attacks and risk provoking a public backlash.

Under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000, police can stop any person or vehicle at a place or in an area specified in the authorisation and search for items associated with terorrism, without any need to reasonably suspect them of wrongdoing.

''I remain sure that Section 44 could be used less and expect it to be used less,'' the report said.

''There is little or no evidence that the use of Section 44 has the potential to prevent an act of terrorism as compared with other statutory powers of stop and search.'' Carlile said the powers should be used ''sparingly'' and only for incidents of possible terrorism, not to control other law and order problems like demonstrations.

The use of anti-terrorism powers has come under scrutiny in recent weeks following a police raid on a house in the Forest Gate area of London during which one man was shot.

The police had suspected the house was harbouring bomb-making material but no evidence of a bomb plot was found.

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