Hampshire Police, the force criticised for its response to the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, is over five times more likely to stop and search black people than white people, according to the latest figures. The racial disparity in the force is higher than the national average for England and Wales and has worsened in recent years.
Nowak was stabbed to death in Southampton last December by Vickrum Digwa, who falsely told officers he had been racially abused. Officers arriving at the scene handcuffed and arrested the student, despite him saying he had been stabbed and could not breathe. The case has sparked claims of “two-tier justice” and anti-white bias.
Data for the most recent year available shows Hampshire officers were 5.1 times more likely to stop and search a black person than a white person, compared with a national average of 3.8 times. The force carried out 15,000 stops in 2025-26, with 60% leading to no further action. The racial disparity has increased from 4.8 times in 2024-25 and 4.1 times in 2023-24.
Duwayne Brooks, a friend of Stephen Lawrence who was with him when he was murdered in 1993, said the treatment of Nowak was the result of “lazy policing”, not anti-white racism. He told the Guardian: “We’ve always received lazy policing. Now it is more widespread and more people are experiencing it and a boy lost his life.” Brooks was also initially treated as a suspect by police.
The Crown Prosecution Service director, Stephen Parkinson, acknowledged disproportionality in the justice system, saying research shows a greater likelihood of prosecution for those from non-white British ethnic groups. The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, has compared the Nowak case to the Stephen Lawrence murder, citing police failings.
The Hampshire Police Federation has suspended its social media platforms after “serious threats” against its members, citing a surge in online trolling and attempts to find personal information. The force declined to comment on the stop and search figures.
