Mum challenges council spy powers

Poole Borough Council was accused of playing "fast and loose" in its attempts to establish whether Jenny Paton's children lived in the correct school catchment area.

Her complaint surrounds the use of the controversial Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (Ripa).

Speaking before a landmark two-day Investigatory Powers Tribunal hearing in central London, Ms Paton, 40, said: "Some of the operational aspects are ludicrous and completely outrageous and, I think, we all need protecting from the way local authorities are using Ripa. This is about saying 'no more' - let's have more safeguards and better scrutiny."

Also speaking outside court, James Welch, a lawyer from Liberty which is representing Ms Paton, said: "We are asking this tribunal to declare that the surveillance powers used to watch Ms Paton were unlawful. This is not about the money - it's about the legal principle."

It is alleged a council official made notes documenting the comings and goings of the mother-of-three and her partner, Tim Joyce, for nearly three weeks to find out if the family lived at an address in the catchment area for Lilliput First School, Dorset.

Ms Paton questioned why officials did not simply knock on the door and speak to her if they doubted her story.

Ripa, dubbed a "snooper's charter", is used to monitor relatively trivial offences by some local councils.

The hearing comes as it was learned that a new use will be found for the Ripa, which was introduced in 2000 to give the police, security services and Revenue and Customs the powers to spy on people in the fight against crime and terrorism. Powers under the Act will be used to track down parents who refuse to pay child support.

Investigators will be given access to the phone and internet records of thousands of fathers who lie about their wealth or refuse to co-operate with the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.