A teenager says he was humiliated by police and made to strip and squat after he was arrested for carrying a scalpel he uses for his art course.

B-Tech art and design student Leon Sinclair, 18, of Westcroft Close, in Cricklewood, was heading to a bus stop when he was stopped by two officers just minutes from his home.

Under the widely criticised stop and search powers, officers can search people they consider suspicious but must give reasons.

On the stop and search form, seen by the Times Series, an officer wrote he stopped the student on suspicion of possessing drugs because he had turned away from them and was in an area rampant with drug dealing. Also noted on the form was that his face was obscured by a hooded top.

Leon was asked to empty his pockets. No drugs were found and he was carrying £1.40.

The teenager said: “At first, I wasn’t fazed because I knew I was innocent. You quickly learn to be as co-operative as possible because any kind of reaction is interpreted as aggression.

“They asked me if I was carrying an offensive weapon and I immediately mentioned the scalpel. The next minute, I was in handcuffs. I pleaded with them that they had it wrong. I showed them my college ID and asked them to call the college so it could confirm I was telling the truth.”

But he was arrested for possessing an offensive weapon in public and taken to Colindale Police Station.

He added: “I was told to strip and made to squat. One of them said I had a good body and asked me if I worked out. I was shocked and embarrassed.

“This only happened because of the way I look. I am 18. I wear baggy pants and hoodies — but that doesn’t make me a criminal. “If people could take one thing from this story, I would say please don’t buy into stereotypes.”

Leon, who has no previous criminal record, was later released, having spent nearly eight hours in the prison cells, following the incident on December 8.

Harrow College confirmed its arts students are given scalpels, which they use regularly for cutting shapes out of paper.

Leon’s mother, Mervis McKenzie, 50, is furious.

She said: “My youngest son, a wonderful son, was on his way to college trying to make something of himself and was treated like a criminal before he even put a foot wrong.

“He missed a whole day of college to be caged in a police station.

“It is hard as a mother to imagine him naked and vulnerable, made to squat in front of grown men while they scrutinised his body and dared to make comments.”

A police spokeswoman confirmed the matter had been investigated and that the officers involved had been spoken to.

But she added there were no plans for further action.