Figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show that thousands of council staff have been using anti-terrorism powers to keep watch on people suspected of non-terrorist type offences.

From the Telegraph:

“A survey of 400 councils in England and Wales by the Liberal Democrats using the FOI Act found that many of them were using the powers to investigate trivial misdemeanours.

In the study, 182 local authorities admitting employing 1,615 staff who had used the powers 10,133 times in the past five years.

If the figures are extrapolated for all 400 councils in England and Wales, it would mean that 3,600 staff have spied on local people 22,000 times since 2004.

The study found that less than one in 10 of spying missions resulted in a prosecution, caution or fixed penalty notice.

Across the 180 councils, the spying powers were mostly used to tackle benefit fraud (1,782 times), noise nuisance (942 times) and trading standards breaches (734 times).

However the powers were also used on 451 investigations into fly-tipping investigations and on 88 cases of unlawful dog fouling.

Other reasons included “establishing the identities of those taking fairy lights from a Christmas tree”, “illegal sale of shellfish” and “unauthorised internet access by staff.”

Julia Goldsworthy, the Libdems Local Government spokesman, said that the Regulation of Investigative Powers Act risked becoming a “snoopers’ charter” unless the powers were reformed.

She said: “Surveillance powers should only be used to investigate serious crimes and must require a magistrates’ warrant.

“The Government has seen civil liberties as little more than a temprorary inconvenience. Slowly but surely freedoms have been eroded.”