FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST

26 February 2009

Dear Mr Murray

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST

Your request for information has now been considered and the information requested in relation RIPA is detailed below.

Your request is as follows:

Please let me have information concerning the 53 authorised RIPA surveillance operations carried out by you during the past three years.

1. Precise dates times and places in each case together with reasons for surveillance.

Response: The table below contains information from the RIPA register of authorisations for directed surveillance over the last three years. It contains information on times and some information on locations. The location information in relation to benefit fraud investigations has not been included as this information has to be treated with some confidentiality as per Section 41 of the Freedom of Information Act. It would be helpful if you could identify which authorisations you were specifically interested in and then checks could be made of specific records to determine if further information could be released which did not compromise confidentiality of investigations.

2. Reports made on each of these occasions.

Response: It would be helpful if you could identify which authorisations you were specifically interested in and then checks could be made of specific records to determine if further information could be released which did not compromise confidentiality of investigations.

3. Results and cost of these operations.

Response: The table shows where enforcement action was taken. Records are not kept of the costs associated with each RIPA authorisation.

4. By whom were these RIPA operations authorised.

Response: Each application was authorised by a Director of the Council.

I hope this is what you are seeking. If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. You are free to use it for your own purposes, including any non commercial research you are doing and for the purposes of news reporting. Any other reuse, for example commercial publication, would require the permission of the Council.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request please contact the Director of Strategy & Regeneration, West Lindsey District Council, Guildhall, Marshall's Yard, Gainsborough, Lincs, DN21 2NA.

Yours sincerely

FOI Office

West Lindsey District Council

REGULATION OF INVESTIGATORY POWERS ACT 2000

Register number	Department seeking authorisation	Purpose of Investigation/suspected offence	Date authorised	Detail's of enforcement action	Location	Time
34	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	21.02.06	Action pending
35	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	24.05.06	Prosecution taken - Not Guilty		7.45am - 9.30am
37	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	17/5/06			8.30 am -10.30am
38	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	13/6/06			5.30pm - 6.30pm
39	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	6/06			5.15am - 6.15am
40	Environmental Health	Flytipping	5/7/06		Dickenson Terrace	12 weeks
41	Environmental Health	Dog fouling	11/7/06	Fixed Penalty notice paid	Sandsfield Lane	12 weeks
42	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	10/7/06			6.30pm - 7.30pm
43	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	24/8/06			7.00am - 11.00am
44	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	25/7/06			5.15am - 11.00pm
45	Environmental Protection	Flytipping	5/9/06	Fixed penalty notices issued	Ermine Street	12 weeks
46	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	20/9/06	Successful prosecution		2 hours per day for 12 weeks
47	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	23/10/06 reviewed 24/10/06			7.15am - 8.15am + 5.15pm - 6.15pm,
48	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	4/1/07			7.15am - 8.15am + 5.15pm - 6.15pm
49	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	5/12/06			7.15am - 8.15am + 5.15pm - 6.15pm
50	Environmental Protection	Flytipping	19/12/06	Fixed Penalty Notice paid	Noel Street	2 weeks
50 (a)	Environmental Protection	Flytipping	4/1/07	Fixed Penalty notice paid	Noel Street	2 weeks
51	Environmental Protection	Flytipping	16.02.07		Kettleby	2 weeks
52	Environmental Protection	Flytipping	05.03.07		North of Lincoln	2 weeks
53	Revenues	Benefit fraud	02.03.07	Prosecution pending.		5.45am - 6.45pm & 5.45pm - 6.30pm
54	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	23.03.07			7.00am- 8.00am & 4.45pm - 5.45pm
55	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	26.03.07			10.45am - 11.45am
56	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	2/5/07			8.30am - 9.30am
57	Antisocial behaviour	Antisocial behaviour/ noise	9/5/07		Kirmond Le Mire	1 week
58	Environmental Protection	Flytipping	4/5/07 reviewed 17/5/07	Prosecution	Ermine Street	12 weeks
59	Environmental Protection	Flytipping	9/3/07		Union Street Market Rasen	12 weeks
60	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	17/5/07 reviewed 31/5/07			8.30am - 10.30am
61	Environmental Protection	Flytipping	18/06/07		Noel Street	12 weeks
62	Environmental Protection	Flytipping	22.06.07		A46	2 weeks
63	Environmental Protection	Flytipping	8/08/07		Foxby Lane	20 days
64	Environmental Protection	Flytipping	08/08/07 reviewed 10/08/07		Bridge Street, Saxilby	1 day and 6 days
65	Environmental Protection	Flytipping	19/09/07	Successful prosecution	Cannon Street. Lincoln	2 days
66	Environmental Protection	Noise nuisance	29/10/07		Marker Rasen	8 weeks
67	Neighbourhood Services	Flytipping	13/11/07		A1084	2 weeks
68	Neighbourhood Services	Noise nuisance	05/12/07		Grasby Close	4 weeks
69	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	07.02.08 reviewed 15.02.08 18.03.08 01.04.08			6.30 -9.00 am & 10.30-11.30 am & 2.30 -3.15 pm
70	Neighbourhood Services	Flytipping and arson	18.03.08		Dunstall Walk	10 days
71	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	17.04.08			8.00am - 9.00am & 10.30 am-6.00pm
72	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	14.05.08	Prosecution pending		7.00am - 6.30pm
73	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	18.06.08	Prosecution pending		6.30am - ..30pm
74	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	19.06.08	Still under investigation		Tues/Fri pm
75	Revenues	Defrauding as employees and illegal driving	24.06.08		Saxilby	From 7.00am all day
76	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	30.06.08			4.30pm - 5.30pm
77	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	30.06.08			5.30pm - 6.30pm
78	Antisocial behaviour	Criminal and Antisocial behaviour	29.07.08	CRASBO previously granted	Gainsborough	12 weeks
79	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	13.08.08			5.30pm - 6.30pm
80	Neighbourhoods	Flytipping	28.08.08		Wharton Hill, Blyton	8 weeks
81	Neighbourhoods	Flytipping	25.09.08		Queen Street, Market Rasen	28 days
82	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	20.10.08 27.10.08 Change of circumstances			6.00-7.00am &9.00-10.00 pm
83	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	27.10.08			7.30am
84	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	13.11.08			6.45am & evenings
85	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	12.12.08	Still under investigation		5.45 am & evenings
86	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	17.12.08	Still under investigation		6am - 8am
87	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	7.2.09			6.00-8.00am
88	Revenues	Benefit Fraud	11.2.09			6.15 -7.30 am and evenings