A COUNCIL is set to tighten its procedures over controversial powers which allows officers to “spy” on residents.

Wycombe District Council is being asked to amend its policy over the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act.

The powers given by the act have hit headlines as councils have used it to watch parents to check they lived in a school's catchment area and dog owners suspected of letting their pets foul in public.

The act can be used to gather evidence over suspected terrorists.

It has been used at WDC to gather information about anti-social behaviour and taxi licensing (see link, right), but has been criticised by the Government’s watchdog.

The new changes state authorisation to carry out surveillance must be logged on a computer system by a dedicated department member.

It adds that “each step of the authorisation” should then be added to the computer system.

And all “relevant paperwork at all steps in an authorisation” should be given to the district solicitor according to a council report, prepared by an officer.

The changes will be put to the council’s Audit Committee on Thursday, which will then decide a recommendation to put to all councillors.

The policy is reviewed every year. The report said it had been “slightly amended”.

Last April the Government's official surveillance watchdog criticised how the council used part of the act.

Jeremy Fordham from the Office of Surveillance Commissioners said the council's requests “failed to demonstrate” why the intensity of the surveillance was needed.

This questioned whether the surveillance carried out was "proportionate" he said.

The WDC policy states that RIPA surveillance “can only be carried out for the purposes of preventing crime and disorder” and must be given prior authorisation.

This include “monitoring, observing, listening to persons, watching or following their movements, listening to their conversations”.

These can be recorded and surveillance can be “overt or covert” the policy states.

The committee meets on Thursday at 7pm at the council’s offices in Queen Victoria Road. The meeting is open to the public.