Councils using surveillance powers

Among 115 councils which responded to inquiries from the Sunday Telegraph, some 89 said they had instigated investigations under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (Ripa) over the past year, with the number of cases over the course of 12 months reaching at least 867.

The powers were used to tackle problems like anti-social behaviour, noise nuisance, benefit fraud and dog fouling.

Some councils recruited children to go into shops wired up with secret recording equipment to detect under-age sales of alcohol or cigarettes.

When Ripa was passed by Parliament in 2000, its powers to conduct surveillance operations and intercept communications were available to only a handful of organisations, including the police and security services. But former home secretary David Blunkett extended the list in 2003 to include a wide range of bodies, including councils.

Durham County Council was the biggest user of Ripa powers over the past year, with just over 100 investigations launched during the period, according to the figures obtained by the Sunday Telegraph. Newcastle City Council used the powers 82 times and Middlesbrough Council 70 times.

Some councils told the paper they had placed houses under video surveillance, while others said council staff had followed residents to see whether they were working while claiming benefit.

Shami Chakrabarti, director of civil rights group Liberty, told the paper: "Local councils do a grave disservice to professional policing by using serious surveillance against litterbugs instead of terrorists. We need a brand new Ripa law that makes independent judges the guardians of our privacy, not over-zealous bureaucrats."

But the acting chairman of the Local Government Association, Sir Jeremy Beecham, said: "Councils are tuned into people's fears about the potential over-zealous use of these crime-fighting powers. They know that they're only to be used to tackle residents' complaints about serious offences, like when benefit cheats are robbing hard-working taxpayers or fly-by-night traders are ripping off vulnerable pensioners.

"Councils do not use these powers to mount fishing expeditions. First and foremost it about protecting the public, not intruding on privacy. Crime-busting powers are carefully targeted at suspected criminals and used only when it is absolutely necessary to gather vital evidence that will help put a stop to criminal activities."