Lib Dems find councils have used anti-terror investigatory powers 10,000 times

3.37.22pm GMT Sat 28th Mar 2009

Julia Goldsworthy MP, Lib Dem Shadow Secretary for Communities and Local Government

Surveillance powers designed to prevent crime and terrorism and have been used by councils more than 10,000 times since 2004, research by the Liberals Democrats has found. Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Local Government Secretary, Julia Goldsworthy MP said: "This Government sees civil liberties as little more than a temporary inconvenience. Slowly but surely freedoms have been eroded. We're now in a situation where dog fouling is considered enough to warrant surveillance by council officials."

A survey of more than 180 councils discovered that:

• Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) powers have been used 10,288 times in the last five years

• 1,615 council staff have the power to authorise the use of the RIPA

• 21% (340) of these staff are below senior management grade

• Just 9% of these authorisations have led to a successful prosecution, caution or fixed-penalty notice

Add Ms Goldsworthy: "When RIPA was passed, only nine organisations, including the police and security services, were allowed to use it. Now a total of 795 bodies, including all 475 local authorities, can use powers that were originally designed to prevent terrorism. Unless RIPA is reformed it risks becoming a snoopers' charter. Surveillance powers should only be used to investigate serious crimes and must require a magistrate's warrant."

Liberal Democrats on Oxford City Council have taken steps to ensure that such powers will not be invoked by officers of the council without the approval of democratically-elected councillors.