AN INDEPENDENT probe is taking place by a watchdog after West Mercia Police admitted using controversial surveillance powers to spy on people nearly 400 times.

Deputy police and crime commissioner Barrie Sheldon has asked a newly-created panel to examine the force's use of RIPA (the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act) to pry on people.

As your Worcester News revealed yesterday, the force used the tactic 379 times between 2010 and 2012.

Mr Sheldon said after being alerted to the news he will ask the new Trust, Integrity and Ethics Committee to investigate it.

The panel only came into being a few weeks ago, with five independent members of the public acting as a public watchdog on police affairs.

Mr Sheldon said: "The use of RIPA gives the police a legal basis to carry out covert work.

"Officers have to put applications in whenever they want to use the legislation and it must be necessary and proportionate, we don't want to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

"I'm confident West Mercia Police has been using it sensibly and within those guidelines, but I will still be asking the committee to look at those decisions so we can make sure it's transparent.

"The committee has an important role to play and it's right that I ask it to look at this."

RIPA was introduced with the intention of helping police fight terrorism, and includes secret monitoring of phone calls.

West Mercia Police says it only uses the powers to "combat serious crime", and insists it is heavily regulated both internally and externally by the Office of Surveillance Commissioners.

But campaign group Big Brother Watch says the tactic is too intrusive because personal details about people are likely to be divulged.

Other organisations like councils have to gain court permission to use RIPA powers but the police do not.

The committee meets around four times a year and holds its sessions in public so anyone can attend.

It has already been given one piece of work by Mr Sheldon and police and crime commissioner Bill Longmore - an investigation into rape complaints which led to no further police action.