COUNCILLORS have expressed concerns over the "inappropriate intrusion" resulting from the so-called 'Snooper's Charter'.

At last week's full meeting of Bury Council, a motion was passed calling for the council to write to the Home Secretary over the Investigatory Powers Bill, which is currently being considered in Parliament.

It was resolved to seek justifications from Theresa May over the extent of powers that would be granted to security services to access phone and internet records, and to ask the borough's MPs, David Nuttall and Ivan Lewis, to raise the issue in the House of Commons.

Cllr Tim Pickstone, who raised the motion on behalf of the Liberal Democrat group, said: "This bill goes far beyond what we have in this country at the moment and what most democratic countries have.

"This isn't about being soft on terrorism - we live in a dangerous time and I will be the first to say that our security services need to do what they need to do.

"This is about giving public bodies very significant powers over me, over you, and over tens of millions of other people in this country.

"It is an inappropriate intrusion into people's lives. If it was physical intrusion and not electronic, then it would be reminiscent of the worst autocratic regimes."

Cllr Iain Gartside, the Conservative group leader, added: "I'm very concerned about the intrusion. This council is right to seek some reassurances from the government."

Labour councillor Alan Quinn, whose daughter flew out of Brussels airport on the day of last month's terrorist attacks, told the chamber:: "My daughter works in Brussels and it suddenly dawned on me that she was flying that day. From about 8.30am to 10am, I didn't know where she was and you do fear the worst.

"When you are put in that position yourself, it's not a nice place to be."

Expressing his support for the 'Snooper's Charter', Cllr James Daly said: "It is my unfortunate view that a terrorist attack is most likely imminent and the threat is at a level that it has never been at previously.

"It's important that we give the police and security services the powers they need to protect us. The most important thing is to keep people safe.

"If you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to worry about."