The council that spied on paperboys

It sent in undercover officers to monitor a newsagent’s shop to ensure that eight youngsters on paper rounds had child work permits.[>

[>

The surveillance, by Cambridgeshire County Council, was carried out using regulations intended to help authorities prevent serious crime, including terrorism.[>

[>

But yesterday MPs, the TaxPayers’ Alliance, and the shop owners condemne the authority for using “a hammer to crack a nut”.[>

[>

Rashmi and Dips Solanki, 42, who run the shop in Melbourn, Cambs, were handed a six-month conditional discharge by Cambridge magistrates following the “sting” operation.[>

[>

The Solankis, who now have a criminal record, were found guilty of employing delivery boys without a valid permit.[>

[>

They denied the charges, claiming there had been a simple mix-up over paperwork, and hit out at the council for monitoring them and their paperboys.[>

[>

Rashmi, 38, who is the former sub-post­mistress for the village, said she felt deeply disturbed that unknown to them an officer had sat in a car staking out their shop.[>

[>

She said: “It’s like something out of a film. Who do they think they are? They should only do such things for a serious crime. We are innocent people who are trying to make an honest living.[>

[>

“It’s ridiculous. We only found out they had been spying on us when we heard about it in court.[>

[>

“This was a complete waste of everyone’s time and came out of confusion over paperwork.[>

[>

“At the end of the day it could all have been easily sorted out if the council had just spoken to us.”[>

[>

Simon Reeve, prosecuting, claimed that the Solankis ignored letters and visits from a child employment officer informing them that they could only employ children with a valid permit. Mark Wallace, campaign director for the TaxPayers’ Alliance, condemned the move yesterday.[>

[>

“It’s crazy that this council has used the full force of anti-terror laws against paperboys,” he said.[>

[>

“Local residents want decent services and low council tax, not a jumped-up version of the A-Team.”[>

[>

Andrew Lansley, Tory MP for South Cambridgeshire, said: “These powers should only be used for the scope they were intended, which is to tackle serious crime and terrorism.”[>

[>

The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, which was used in the newsagent’s shop case, was recently brought in by Cambridge council to monitor punt operators and to count beggars in the city centre.[>

[>

The council defended its use of the powers to investigate the couple.[>

[>

A spokesman said: “Officers did use RIPA powers to investigate this case. We are required to follow the law that those employing children should have a valid work permit. We were simply enforcing the law.”[>

[>