Anti-terror law used to snoop on fishermen

A council which used anti-terrorism powers to check whether a child lived within a school's catchment area has used the same law to spy on fishermen, it has emerged.
Poole council used a covert surveillance team to gather evidence of shellfish being illegally gathered in Poole Harbour, Dorset.

The snooping was carried out under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, which was originally intended for use in the fight against crime and terrorism but which has been used by some councils to clamp down on such minor offences as dog fouling.

Last month, officials in Poole authorised a two-week spying mission against Jenny Paton and her partner Tim Joyce, who were wrongly accused of lying on a school application form.

 

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