Fareham residents urged to shop their neighbours for a £200 reward (From Daily Echo)
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Fareham residents urged to shop their neighbours for a £200 reward
11:51am Thursday 21st January 2010 in
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- By Simon Carr » Eastleigh Chief Reporter
SPY on your neighbours and earn hard cash.
That is the accusation being levelled at a Hampshire council, which has promised to pay a bounty of £200 for residents to shop neighbours who illegally sublet their homes.
The latest crackdown on benefit cheats has been launched with the help of a £10,000 government grant that will be used to pay informants who are prepared to turn their neighbours in. Authorities across the south have signed up to the scheme, but so far only Fareham Borough Council will use the cash to reward informants.
But the move has sparked criticism for encouraging people to spy.
Lib Dem councillor Roger Price said: “This is just over the top and wrong, it is big brotherish.
“You can’t offer to pay people to go around spying on their neighbours.
Good honest citizens should be reporting these things out of a sense of civic duty, it’s not quite a bribe but it is an inducement.We are always hearing that we have to be good neighbours but this seems to fly in the eyes of that, trying to get people to turn on each other.”
He went on to say he could foresee financial risks where dishonest people would make unfounded allegations to cash in and the authority would waste time and money investigating.
Other councils who have signed up said they would be using the cash for publicity and administration purposes.
Despite this fierce criticism from within its ranks the Torycontrolled council remained resolute.
Executive member for community, Councillor Connie Hockley, said: “This is not spying we are just asking people to do the right thing. Some people wouldn’t report neighbours for fear of repercussions or not wanting to get involved, maybe now they will.
“I am for anything that will stop this kind of illegal activity, how would you feel if you were living in a bedsit while other people rented out council houses they were supposed to be living in. Matthew Elliott, TaxPayers’ Alliance chief executive, said: “Subletting is a big problem, but paying hefty bribes to informants is an unnecessarily costly way to deal with it.”
To find out more about the scheme or shop a neighbour see the related links below or call the council on 01329 236100.
Comments(27)
Andy Locks Heath
says...
12:09pm Thu 21 Jan 10
Bartonian
says...
12:31pm Thu 21 Jan 10
In the surveillance socirty that we live in, what remains of our personal privacy is being destroyed, and the last pillar of that privacy i.e what goes on behind our front doors is slowly being infringed, whether it be council snooping officers seeking entry, RFID chips in household goods and even transmitters in TV sets and the new proposal to fit wireless technology in gas and electricity meters, so that our energy useage can be monitored or even shut off. This doesn't just consist of bin police, there is a lot more to all this and our political masters now consider each and every one of us as being potential terrorist suspects.
Lone Ranger
says...
12:33pm Thu 21 Jan 10
1).repair some roads, 2). stop letting the some residents get away with not paying council tax, 3) sort out a decent transport system for Fareham instead of expecting its residents to be snoops for a few quid by shopping a few neighbours
Redback
says...
1:08pm Thu 21 Jan 10
Ben Durutti
says...
1:18pm Thu 21 Jan 10
zoom-in
says...
1:35pm Thu 21 Jan 10
.
Twisted Nipple
says...
1:46pm Thu 21 Jan 10
£200 a pop though, might just do some detective work of my own at that price!
Twisted Nipple
says...
1:46pm Thu 21 Jan 10
£200 a pop though, might just do some detective work of my own at that price!
Ken Hutchinson
says...
1:54pm Thu 21 Jan 10
Bartonian wrote:I see another healthy dose of paranoia pills have been ingested this afternoon....
I'm appalled that people are being encouraged to do this type of thing. This is another example where councils are abusing their powers given to them under the terms of RIPA. This is similar to the case of an authority spying on a family to see if their children are attending the correct catchment area school. Similarly, some councils are thinking about installing CCTV cameras in peoples living rooms looking outside to see what other residents are doi ng. In the surveillance socirty that we live in, what remains of our personal privacy is being destroyed, and the last pillar of that privacy i.e what goes on behind our front doors is slowly being infringed, whether it be council snooping officers seeking entry, RFID chips in household goods and even transmitters in TV sets and the new proposal to fit wireless technology in gas and electricity meters, so that our energy useage can be monitored or even shut off. This doesn't just consist of bin police, there is a lot more to all this and our political masters now consider each and every one of us as being potential terrorist suspects.
Brite Spark
says...
1:59pm Thu 21 Jan 10
I want back pay!
Duckorange
says...
2:03pm Thu 21 Jan 10
Ben Durutti wrote:Is this the same Taxpayers Alliance who are currently being investigated over allegations that they falsely claimed they were a charity for tax purposes when they are, supposedly, a political lobby group?
Why do the media (not just the Echo) always get the "Taxpayers Alliance" to comment on every single public sector issue when they are an irrelevant, minuscule bunch of privatise everything merchants?
Remember folks: Innocent until proven guilty.
King Mush
says...
2:18pm Thu 21 Jan 10
Their banking pals have been screwing millions out of their institutions but sadly not ended up in a much deserved institution.
We really have a 'let them cake' society as these ingrates at Westminster and on the downward paths of councils continue to punish the peasants. Be fined for daring to have your wheely bin lid an inch above the container, plus all manner of stealth taxes.
Why do we bother to criticise low level crime such as petty theft when these blaggards are laughing at us from the ivory towers.
Why is there no signs of unrest on our streets? Are we so apathetic?
Bartonian
says...
2:35pm Thu 21 Jan 10
Ken Hutchinson wrote:You are a very ignorant person if you think that all is well. That is your own opinion, so if you can't provide an answer to counter what i have written, then don't bother. OK?
Bartonian wrote: I'm appalled that people are being encouraged to do this type of thing. This is another example where councils are abusing their powers given to them under the terms of RIPA. This is similar to the case of an authority spying on a family to see if their children are attending the correct catchment area school. Similarly, some councils are thinking about installing CCTV cameras in peoples living rooms looking outside to see what other residents are doi ng. In the surveillance socirty that we live in, what remains of our personal privacy is being destroyed, and the last pillar of that privacy i.e what goes on behind our front doors is slowly being infringed, whether it be council snooping officers seeking entry, RFID chips in household goods and even transmitters in TV sets and the new proposal to fit wireless technology in gas and electricity meters, so that our energy useage can be monitored or even shut off. This doesn't just consist of bin police, there is a lot more to all this and our political masters now consider each and every one of us as being potential terrorist suspects.I see another healthy dose of paranoia pills have been ingested this afternoon....
damien thorn
says...
3:14pm Thu 21 Jan 10
freemantlegirl2
says...
3:25pm Thu 21 Jan 10
Andy Locks Heath wrote:Absolutely spot on as usual Andy! hypocrisy stinks! Get a grip Fareham Borough and spend your money actually doing your jobs!
I see. So citizens are not allowed to sublet their own homes, whereas MPs are not only allowed to sublet their homes, but to pretend they are still living in them too. I'm glad we've sorted that one out.
Bartonian
says...
4:05pm Thu 21 Jan 10
freemantlegirl2 wrote:This at the end of the day, is all about control. We elect politicians to be servants of the state, doing a job in the interests of the people that put them there. But this seems now to be turned up on it's head and there is no such thing.
Andy Locks Heath wrote: I see. So citizens are not allowed to sublet their own homes, whereas MPs are not only allowed to sublet their homes, but to pretend they are still living in them too. I'm glad we've sorted that one out.Absolutely spot on as usual Andy! hypocrisy stinks! Get a grip Fareham Borough and spend your money actually doing your jobs!
The political class have got away with a priviledged lifestyle, that they want to blame someone for all the wrongdoing in society with policies that are counter-productive.
To pay someone to spy on someone's neighbour will encourage the finger to be pointed at the innocent. This is the kind of thing that the Stasi in East Germany encouraged. No wonder there is no decent neighbourly spirit left in this world anymore. I haven't yet heard of any MPs being charged with robbing the public purse yet. A case of double-standards if it can be called that!
Bartonian
says...
4:15pm Thu 21 Jan 10
Big Mac
says...
4:34pm Thu 21 Jan 10
King Mush
says...
4:55pm Thu 21 Jan 10
Big Mac wrote:Yep two left feet ;o)
Has Southy gone to get his free slippers today?
Brite Spark
says...
5:00pm Thu 21 Jan 10
King Mush wrote:He went with Goard.
Big Mac wrote:Yep two left feet ;o)
Has Southy gone to get his free slippers today?
eurogordi
says...
7:09pm Thu 21 Jan 10
freemantlegirl2 wrote:I think you will find that this article relates to homes that are owned by local authorities, rather than privately owned dwellings.
Andy Locks Heath wrote: I see. So citizens are not allowed to sublet their own homes, whereas MPs are not only allowed to sublet their homes, but to pretend they are still living in them too. I'm glad we've sorted that one out.Absolutely spot on as usual Andy! hypocrisy stinks! Get a grip Fareham Borough and spend your money actually doing your jobs!
If a tenant of the council is living elsewhere and renting out the council house to a third party (and most likely at a profit), that tenant is in breach of their agreement.
Apart from the fact that the Daily Echo has failed to distinguish between private and council houses, I don't see why people are so upset at this article.
If I paid rent to the council and knew my neighbour was subletting, I would be furious and want action taken.
Linesman
says...
7:23pm Thu 21 Jan 10
Andy Locks Heath wrote:How many MP's do you know that are living in Council Houses Andy?
I see. So citizens are not allowed to sublet their own homes, whereas MPs are not only allowed to sublet their homes, but to pretend they are still living in them too. I'm glad we've sorted that one out.
It is sub-letting Council Houses that they are cracking down on!
alabaster
says...
9:02pm Thu 21 Jan 10
Stephen McAthey
says...
3:44am Fri 22 Jan 10
Stephen McAthey
says...
3:44am Fri 22 Jan 10
King Mush
says...
11:16am Fri 22 Jan 10
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Condor Man says...
12:06pm Thu 21 Jan 10