10,000 instances of Council Abuse of Snooping Powers.

Click for a larger image
Or go to this site and click on any of the pictures at random to see the people of our country being watched by god knows who, sitting god knows where, all the time, everywhere they go.

by johnofgwent

Councils in England and Wales have used controversial spying laws 10,000 times in the past five years, figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show.

The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (Ripa) was designed to fight serious crime.But officials have been using it to spy on suspected dog fouling, littering and other minor offences.Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal for the first time how widespread the use of Ripa is among council officials in England and Wales.

A survey of more than 180 local authorities found:-

• 1,615 council staff have the power to authorise the use of Ripa.
• 21% (or 340) of these staff are below senior management grade.
• Ripa powers have been used 10,333 times in the last five years.
• Just 9% of these authorisations led to a successful prosecution, caution or fixed-penalty notice

Source here

So there we have it. Councils run by people styling themselves after Orwell's Napoleon abuse powers given to them to fight "serious crime" and see no problem turning the cameras round to see who is not putting glass bottles into recycling bins. How long will it be before attending a political meeting not organised by New Labour warrants the attention of the man with the finger on the joystick of the camers's control, I wonder.

These cameras and other surveillance equipment should indeed be monitoring the areas where serious crimes are being committed.

Starting with every local council office and debating chamber the length and breadth of the land.