Britain’s surveillance watchdog is blocking proposals by senior police officers to cut through the red tape involved in mounting operations to observe suspected criminals.

Police must fill in a 17-page form if they want to carry out a directed surveillance operation, but senior officers say that it is being used inappropriately for what are routine policing tasks. They estimate that it takes six hours to complete, which they say is an unnecessary task for some operations.

Senior officers have tried to reduce the number of scenarios when they need formal authorisations. However, despite winning the support of the Crown Prosecution Service and National Policing Improvement Agency, the Association of Chief Police Officers has failed to gain the backing of Sir Christopher Rose, the Chief Surveillance Commissioner.

Nick Gargan, from Thames Valley Police, said: “Our contention is that [the authorisation] has been inappropriately applied to scenarios where, for example, officers might turn a CCTV camera around to focus on a parade of shops or we might offer the victim of racist graffiti a camera in their own home to film people offending against their own home.”

Authorisations are required under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000 and are intended to provide the public with safeguards against snooping by public bodies.

Sam Lincoln, the chief surveillance inspector, said: “When the police are required to look at the privacy of the public, it is necessary that some aspects of RIPA require careful thought and consideration and will require written reports that can be used in a court of law.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “We are committed to cutting police bureaucracy where we can, but of course recognise that there will always be a need for some paperwork in some cases. We are talking to all stakeholders including the Office of the Surveillance Commissioner.”

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