"I love this concrete jungle still, with all its sirens and its speed, the people here united will create a kind of London breed."

It seemed like a good idea at the time. The Metropolitan police, beset by a chronic inability to attract ethnic minority recruits, using the words of Britain's most famous and influential black poet on a poster campaign.

Unfortunately when they approached Benjamin Zephaniah, the Met did not realise he had had more than his fair share of run-ins with the force. Rejecting the idea out of hand yesterday, the Rastafarian poet said he was incredulous at the suggestion. He was the victim of stop and search incidents on average three times a month and is involved in litigation after being stopped on the M62 two years ago.

"I just can't believe that, after all I've been through with the police personally, they are now looking to me to help them with their recruitment problems. I'm sorry but the fact is I have been a victim of them on too many a night driving home. I'm in my 40s now and they are still stopping me."

The poet, who did not learn to read and write until he was 20 and first made his name in the 1970s as a "ranter poet" before becoming a rap poet, said it would be hypocritical to allow his poem, The London Breed, to be used by the Met.

"I have always said that I want my poetry to be seen everywhere, but with every thing we are going through at the moment I do not think I could look my community in the face if I allowed the police to use my poem.

"I love The London Breed, it is a real celebration of multicultural Britain, but the police do not reflect that."

Denise Milani, head of the Met's positive action team, who dreamed up the idea of using Mr Zephaniah's poem, said: "We are disappointed to learn that this request is likely to be refused, as it is felt that The London Breed closely reflects the Met's positive attitude to diversity in London. It would have been an original and inspiring way of encouraging minority ethnic recruit ment. We would be delighted to meet Mr Zephaniah to explain our work in more detail."

Mr Zephaniah said he would take "an extraordinary amount of convincing" before he would allow his poem to be used. "Of course I would like to see a time when I feel comfortable working with the Met."