JOURNALISTS hit out yesterday at the Met’s use of anti-terror laws to seize a Newsnight reporter’s laptop.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said the Met’s grabbing of Secunder Kermani’s computer had a “chilling effect on press freedom.”

Police obtained an order from a judge under the Terrorism Act after Mr Kermani, who has reported extensively on British-born jihadists, produced a BBC Newsnight report featuring an individual who identified as a member of Islamic State (Isis).

NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said there were “serious questions” as to whether the order warranted the seizure of a journalist’s laptop, pointing out that it could have contained information on other confidential sources.

“Police and state interference is making the lives of journalists incredibly difficult and potentially jeopardises their safety in the process.

“Terrorism laws should not be used as convenient cloaks to sidestep measures that protect press freedom and the ability of journalists to inform the public and to hold power to account.”

International Federation of Journalists president Jim Boumelha said it was a “bad day” for press freedom.

“Journalists have an obligation to protect their sources and any police and court action exploiting the wide-ranging terror legislation to force them to reveal their communications makes it more difficult for them to do their job to inform the public.”

Met officers have form regarding threats to press freedom. The Guardian recently had its offices raided and was futilely ordered to destroy a number of hard drives containing documents leaked by NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowdon.