The news comes after it was revealed authorities are using anti-terror laws to catch benefit cheats and noisy neighbours.

Data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act shows Wyre Council sends undercover officers to parks and public spaces and has a hidden camera, which may be used to catch fouling culprits.

The Evening Post has also been told undercover police are walking dogs in fouling hot spots in Wyre in a bid to identify culprits.

Freedom of Information requests show councils use a range of surveillance techniques under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), a law designed to track terrorists and criminals.

Wyre Council has made 18 RIPA application in the last three years. Nine cases involved "fraud" investigations and the others suspected "environment crime".

The council said it had used digital equipment in houses to measure noise nuisance and had a hidden camera to catch fly-tippers. It has also used plain clothes enforcement officers to watch dog walkers.

They mingle with the public and report dog fouling to nearby police community support officers who dish out on-the-spot-fines.

Michael Pike, Wyre's neighbourhood services enforcement officer, said: "Dog fouling is a big concern. Because it doesn't tend to happen when uniformed officers are around, we need to be in plain clothes.

That's when surveillance under RIPA can play a big part in helping us."
Mr Pike said he would consider using the undercover camera against dog foulers if other techniques failed.

Ribble Valley also used covert surveillance against suspected dog foulers five times in 2005. During the financial year 2007/08 Preston City Council used surveillance authorised under RIPA on 19 occasions, six of them to obtain evidence of statutory noise nuisance and 13 related to suspected housing benefit fraud.

Meanwhile, Chorley Council admitted using RIPA powers 142 times in the last three years in cases including benefit fraud and fly-tipping.

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