Taxi Driver Online

THE Government is planning action to stop councils using anti-terror laws to spy on people committing "trivial" offences.

Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker said council snooping on people for littering or other minor offences was undermining public support for the anti-terror law and promised action in the "near future."

His announcement follows an exclusive YEP report on how West Yorkshire councils had used the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) nearly 200 times in the space of two years.

Leeds City Council used the law 96 times between June 2006 and June 2008 for offences ranging from alleged antisocial behaviour to the monitoring of private hire vehicles.

Kirklees Council used the powers 53 times to investigate, among others, an alleged offence of using premises for unlawful food preparation.

Wakefield Council used the laws 32 times for offences including noise nuisance, fly-tipping and taxis illegally plying for trade.

Speaking at a House of Lords Constitution Committee meeting, Mr Coaker said he was in discussions on the issue with Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) minister, John Healey.


He said: "We don't want to see legislation available for local authorities to use with respect to serious crime being used...for example, in respect of dog-fouling. That's something we need to address."

He added: "We have to stop some of these things happening that do undermine support. We are now in a position where, with DCLG, we have to look at the codes of guidance and are having discussions to take this forward so we avoid some of the issues that have arisen in the past."

Mr Coaker stressed that local authorities have used RIPA powers to tackle serious crime, such as a case in which three roofers were jailed in North Yorkshire for tricking elderly people out of their life savings by persuading them to have unnecessary work done on their homes.

And he added: "I do think people generally support the use, even at a local authority level, of techniques to get communications data, providing that we don't have the sorts of problems we have seen."

In July, the former head of the Local Government Association, Sir Simon Milton, also wrote to councils to urge them to be more sparing in their use of the Act, which permits them to seek permission to carry out covert surveillance and intercept personal communications.

Leeds City Council has defended its use of the RIPA laws, saying it only uses them as a last resort.

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin