The Court of Appeal has awarded damages to a black man who was stopped by police without good reason, racially abused and assaulted.
Civil rights campaigners are hoping the case could lead to a re-think of the Metropolitan Police's stop and search procedures.
The timing of the case could not have been worse, coming just a week after the Macpherson report criticised "pernicious and institutionalised racism" within the force.
Conrad Samuels, 30, was stopped by a police constable as he walked near his home in Walthamstow, north-east London, in June 1996. He was found to have no stolen goods or burglary tools on him.
He took the Metropolitan Police to court after he was acquitted of assaulting the same police officer during the stop and search.
Unlawfully imprisoned
Mr Samuels, who said he had been racially abused by officers while being taken to the police station, asked for damages for assault and unlawful imprisonment.
In March 1998 a jury at Central London County Court found he was not entitled to damages after a judge ruled the officer did have reasonable grounds for suspicion under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.
But on Thursday three Court of Appeal judges, including the Lord Chief Justice Lord Bingham, ruled the officer did not have reasonable grounds for suspecting Mr Samuels was carrying "prohibited articles".
Mr Samuels was awarded £1,000 for false imprisonment and £500 for assaults which caused "minor injuries".
Jury misdirected
Lord Bingham said the county court judge had misdirected the jury.
Mr Justice Brooks said there was "no significance" in the fact Mr Samuels looked back at the officer following him or the fact he was walking at a "leisurely pace" on a very hot day.
Mr Samuels' solicitor, Andrew Onyearu, said: "This is a difficult case for the police to ignore.
"There will be more cases like it in the future involving other black members of the community who have suffered similar treatment from the police as Mr Samuels."
He said the judges had made it clear the police's stop and search powers must be exercised "extremely carefully".
Hope of change
Chris Myant, of the Commission for Racial Equality, said the case could help prevent members of the public being treated like Mr Samuels in the future.
He said the Met was carrying out an internal evaluation of the effectiveness and fairness of stop and search.
Mr Myant said: "There are clear criteria set out on which police officers should stop someone and it is important that officers are properly trained and managed."
John Wadham, director of the civil rights group Liberty, said: "With black people five times as likely to be stopped as white people, this case demonstrates how real action has to be taken by the police if positive improvements in race relations are to be achieved."
