Claims that councils are resorting to James Bond-style espionage by bugging phones have been rejected by the local government regulatory adviser. LACORS attacked as ‘untrue and unhelpful' allegations by Sir Paul Kennedy, the Interception of Communications commissioner, that town halls were snooping on e-mails and phone calls. The commissioner said up to 474 councils were using electronic surveillance to catch people engaged in crimes such as fly-tipping. But council enforcement chiefs pointed out they could not tap people's phones, as it was something only the police and intelligence services could do. Councils can only apply to senior management to use video or audio surveillance equipment to catch criminals. LACORS highlighted how Surrey CC used telephone records to trace and prosecute a car-clocking gang, which made £4m from unsuspecting buyers. Cllr Geoffrey Theobald, chairman of LACORS, said: ‘Councils cannot tap people's phones and to suggest they can is patently untrue and unhelpful. Only the police and intelligence agencies have the powers to listen in to people's phone calls or intercept e-mails.'
