Official probe into covert surveillance operation carried out by a Knowsley council officer Council has admitted a secret recording of minicab firm boss’s conversation was made by officer without permission from council chiefs An official investigation has been launched into an unauthorised covert surveillance operation carried out by a Knowsley council officer.
The council has admitted a secret recording of a minicab firm boss’s conversation was made by the officer without permission from council chiefs.
Following a formal complaint the authority has now agreed to refer the matter to the Office of the Surveillance Commissioner and the Government’s Information Commissioner.
Yesterday Acorn Cars’ operations manager, Liam Sweeney, appeared at Liverpool Magistrates Court where he won an appeal against the revocation of his private hire driver’s licence by Knowsley council.
As part of preparation for the court case consultants a2z Licensing, acting on behalf of Acorn, were told by the council that a conversation between a council officer and Mr Sweeney had been secretly recorded.
Knowsley’s monitoring officer Mike Harden said in a letter: “This recording was not authorised in advance by the council and was not made with the permission or knowledge of the officer’s line manager or indeed any other council officer. The decision to make the recording was taken by the officer in isolation.”
The voice recording, which was played in court yesterday, was made by a council officer when he visited the offices of Acorn Cars in Park Brow Drive, Kirkby on September 18 last year and asked Mr Sweeney if he could check some records.
Mr Harden said in his letter to a2z: “The decision to make the recording was clearly an error of judgement by the officer in question and his conduct in the matter will be investigated.”
Knowsley council had revoked the licence Liam Sweeney had held since 1996, claiming he made threats to a council officer.
At yesterday’s hearing, magistrate Alan Hughes said the bench accepted Liam Sweeney was of good character and a fit and proper person but cautioned him on his future behaviour.
Mr Hughes found Knowsley’s principal licensing officer John Thompson’s attitude “over asserting” and said the unauthorised recording by another council officer, David Gard (who was not called to give evidence) showed a level of pre-formed opinion.
He also said the council’s third witness, Daniel Mannion, was “not all together convincing.”
The court made no order for costs against the council.
Last month Billy Sweeney, a partner in the firm, was found guilty of using private hire vehicles without a proper licence.
A spokeswoman for Knowsley council said an investigation into the audio recording was ongoing and as such it felt it inappropriate to comment.
source:
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liv ... on-7191735
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