Nadeau

Bobbies can detain
anyone for anything

A new British law going into effect Jan. 1, 2006 is described this way:

Officers will have to satisfy themselves of "a person's involvement or suspected involvement or attempted involvement in the commission of a criminal offence" and that there are "reasonable grounds for believing that the person's arrest is necessary".
Telegraph/UK
Now you can be arrested for any offence
Filed December 29, 2005

In other words, at seems, a London bobby may now arrest and detain anyone who appears to be thinking about attempting to overstay a parking meter somewhere.

That is to say, a cop can now arrest anyone he doesn't happen to like the looks of.

And their expanded new laws are considered relatively lax compared to those promulgated, known and unknown, in the US after 9/11.