Clegg bid to relax terror controls under fire.(News)

Byline: Jason Groves Political Correspondent

MINISTERS were last night warned not to play politics with people's lives by scrapping control orders on terror suspects.

Lord Carlile warned Nick Clegg and David Cameron they would 'not be forgiven' if they axed the controversial controls, only for those involved to go on and mount an atrocity.

Mr Clegg is pressing hard for control orders to be scrapped and replaced with a far laxer regime. The Deputy Prime Minister is desperate to re-establish his liberal credentials in the wake of his U-turn over student fees which has caused a collapse in his popularity.

But Lib Dem peer Lord Carlile, who oversees Britain's terror laws, urged Mr Clegg to show 'courage' by abandoning his party's pledge to scrap the measures.

He said: 'At present the political landscape looks to him (Mr Clegg) as bleak as the winter weather: but the courage to protect public safety surely will be recognised. The failure to do so will not be forgiven if some terrible terrorism event happens.'

Writing in The Sun, Lord Carlile said control orders could be reformed, but insisted that key restrictions, such as electronic tagging, curfews and restrictions on using the internet must be retained. Mr Clegg wants suspects to be allowed to travel freely within this country and use the internet and mobile phones.

He also faces opposition from Tory Home Secretary Theresa May, who is adamant that any regime replacing control orders must be tough enough to stop suspects organising terror plots.

The issue is so divisive it may have to be resolved by the Coalition's 'star chamber' committee, chaired by Mr Clegg and David Cameron, which can be used to tackle otherwise irreconcilable differences between the Tories and Lib Dems.

Nine suspects are currently subject to control orders, and are electronically tagged and under curfew for 16 hours a day.

They cannot use the internet and mobile phones or enter certain places, such as towns where they have associates. Police say the measures are essential where people are suspected of plotting attacks but the evidence against them cannot be used because it is not substantial enough or the sources are too sensitive to reveal.

Critics say they are ineffective, infringe human rights and are a propaganda gift to terrorist recruiters.