Campaigners monitored by civil servants

• Intelligence on climate groups passed to police
• 'Orwellian' approach condemned by Liberty

Matthew Taylor
guardian.co.uk
1 May, 2009

Government officials have been monitoring environmental campaign groups and then passing intelligence on to the police, according to documents seen by the Guardian.

An internal risk report from the Department for Transport reveals that a unit referred to as the comms directorate ­"continuously monitor[ed]" peaceful protest groups opposed to the expansion of Heathrow airport and then briefed detectives about their findings.

The disclosure is the latest evidence of a wide-ranging crackdown on environmental campaign groups and has been condemned by MPs and civil liberty groups.

Earlier this month it emerged that government officials had handed confidential police intelligence about environmental activists to the energy giant E.ON ahead of a peaceful demonstration at Kingsnorth, the proposed site of a new coal-fired power station in north Kent.

Last week the Guardian revealed how undercover police were running a network of hundreds of informants inside protest organisations who secretly feed them intelligence in return for cash.

The latest documents, released under the Freedom of Information Act, reveal how the comms directorate at the DfT was monitoring campaign groups in the consultation period leading up to the announcement about the planned expansion of Heathrow airport.

A typical entry in February 2008 states: "Strength of opposition to expansion at Heathrow leads to direct action during the consultation period." Under measures in place it states: "Comms directorate to continually monitor protest groups and brief staff/police accordingly."

Another entry in May 2008 states: "Strength of opposition to expansion at Heathrow leads to direct action before and around time of ministerial considerations thereby delaying final policy decisions."

The document rates the "inherent risk" as medium or high and states: "Comms directorate to continuously monitor protest groups and brief staff/police accordingly."

The Liberal Democrat justice spokesman, David Howarth, said it was "extraordinary" that civil servants were monitoring peaceful environmental campaigners and then passing information to police.

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