Council uses anti-terror laws 150 times to trap fraudsters
ANTI-TERROR laws have been used by council spies almost 150 times over the last three years to trap fraudsters, rogue taxi drivers and benefit cheats.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council applied for permission to use surveillance techniques 147 times between 2007 and last year.
And figures revealed under Freedom of Information laws show the authority had applied to use the tactics, normally used by police and intelligence services, eight times between January and July.
The applications were made under the controversial Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), which was introduced in 2000 with the aim of regulating how public bodies carried out surveillance and the interceptions of communications.
But the legislation quickly became known as a ‘snooper’s charter’ as it emerged the law was being used by public bodies to tackle issues such as fly-tipping and dog fouling.
Earlier this month, the Home Office announced it was to examine the way local authorities were using RIPA.
The council has used surveillance, telephone traces and undercover investigations to, among other examples, catch shops selling alcohol or fireworks to underage youths.
Martin Brindley, head of the council’s regulatory services, said: “If we have reports of someone selling counterfeit pottery, we send an officer to buy an item, but also to have a conversation to find out more about what they are doing.
“Where we think taxi drivers are overcharging we can have officers posing as customers to find out.”
The figures show the council applied for permission to use surveillance techniques 37 times in 2007, 49 times in 2008 and 36 times in 2009.
The authority used communications, which generally means asking telephone companies to trace a number, eight times in 2007, 13 times in 2008, four times in 2009, and once up to July 2010.
The council said its number of RIPA applications was due to Trading Standards investigations.
In comparison, Staffordshire County Council made eight RIPA applications in 2007, five in 2008 and three in 2009.
Surveillance powers were used to investigate counterfeit goods, allegations of animals being kept in poor health, fraud and illegal disposal of industrial waste.
The one application made this year has been to investigate loan sharks.
County Councillor Ben Adams, pictured, said: “These are not petty matters – they are real crimes. We always ensure our use of RIPA is appropriate.
“RIPA is often described as ‘anti-terror legislation’ but this is misleading.”
Newcastle Borough Council made 15 applications in 2007/08, 21 in 2008/09 and two in 2009/10.
A spokesman said: “The council’s powers under RIPA are only used as a last resort.”
Taxi driver Steve Eden, chairman of Newcastle Private Hire Association, said: “I think the council are wasting their time.”
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