Outrage at Clarke's curfew plan

Charles Clarke faced growing protests today over his plan to tag and curfew Britons suspected of terrorism without a trial.

Labour backbenchers warned of a rebellion when the Government tries to pass the new laws through the Commons before the election.

The Home Secretary unveiled the plans as he bowed to a Law Lords' ruling that holding foreign terror suspects indefinitely without trial breached European human rights.

Among 12 supporters of al Qaeda who will be released from Belmarsh prison under the new system is Osama bin Laden's "ambassador in Europe", radical Islamic cleric Abu Qatada.

Mr Clarke will be able to order any Briton to be detained at home, subjected to curfew or electronic tagging, or banned from meeting people, using the internet or a mobile phone. No evidence need be aired in court and some detainees may not even know what they are accused of.

The Law Society immediately accused him of "an abuse of power".

"We know tagging and monitoring may need to be considered in some cases," said president Edward Nally. "But it is an abuse of power to place people under house arrest without evidence of criminal activity."

Amnesty International UK director Kate Allen said: "However he puts it, the Home Secretary is giving himself the power to place anyone in the UK under house arrest, without charge or trial, based on secret evidence - UK citizens included.

"The Government is still sidestepping the law courts, still detaining people on secret evidence - only people will now be detained in their homes rather than at Belmarsh prison."

Human rights lawyer Clive Stafford-Smith called the proposals as a "further abuse of human rights in Britain". Human Rights Watch, Liberty and human rights group Justice all joined in the criticism.

The Muslim Council of Britain was the only group to broadly welcome the announcement, saying the current laws discriminated against foreigners and were "our very own mini-Guantanamo Bay".

Mr Clarke's plans would make him the most powerful Home Secretary since the end of the Second World War.

The Home Office insisted the new law would be used sparingly and only when clear evidence was obtained by MI5, MI6 or Scotland Yard that an individual was a danger to the country.

Mr Clarke is expected to announce independent monitors to guard against abuse, and that the laws will be reviewed every year.