Fears of more jail surveillance

The case involves 71-year-old Harry Roberts - serving life for the murder of three police officers in 1966 - who was recorded as he spoke on the phone to his lawyer.

It came to light after legal documents sent to Roberts's solicitor, Simon Creighton, were found to include transcripts of two bugged phone conversations.

The transcripts, made in 2005 and 2006 when Roberts was in Channings Wood jail, include every word spoken from the moment that a receptionist at Mr Creighton's firm, Bhatt Murphy, answered the phone.

Mr Creighton, a government appointed lawyer, told The Times that the transcripts included discussions of the legal tactics they planned to use in Roberts's parole hearings, which were held in secret. They also included discussion of problems Roberts was having in jail. He is now in Littlehey prison, Cambridgeshire.

Mr Creighton said: "I am deeply shocked by this breach of such an important and fundamental right. It is especially worrying that it occurred in this case where there were already heightened sensitivities because of the decision made by the parole board to receive secret evidence.

"It makes me wonder whether this is a more common practice than anybody has previously dared to imagine."

He said that the bugging of telephone calls between prisoners and their lawyers was a breach of common law and the European Convention on Human Rights, although other calls may be monitored.

It is not known whether the police or prison service carried out the bugging operation.