BRITAIN: A former head of MI5 said yesterday that he favoured allowing phone-tap evidence to be used in British courts for the first time. He made the comment as he was appointed to a key job in the new "British FBI".
Sir Stephen Lander was named chairman of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca), the first ex-spymaster to play such a crucial role in British policing.
Sir Stephen had a 25-year career in the Security Service, and served as director general from 1996 to 2002.
He takes up the £120,000-a-year post next month at the agency which unites police and other investigators in a war against organised criminals, including drug gangs, people traffickers and internet paedophiles.
As chairman he will be responsible for "setting the organisation's vision and overall strategy", said a Home Office spokesman. Speaking to PA News, Sir Stephen said he sympathised with calls to change the law so the Soca could use material from phone taps and other intercepted material in court.
However, there would have to be "robust arrangements" to protect sources and techniques.
The security services are known to oppose such a move because they fear it will expose their electronic surveillance techniques to scrutiny.
"Personally, I've been an enthusiast for change in my previous job - but the devil is in the detail. Here's something which happens in almost every jurisdiction but not here, but the protection of techniques argument is a valid one.
"It (use of intercept material) is a complicated question, but I have a lot of sympathy with a straightforward, ministerial approach which is: 'If everyone else can do this, why can't we'?"
The current head of the National Crime Squad, Mr Bill Hughes, was yesterday named director general of the Soca, and will be in operational control of its investigations and its 5,000 agents.
In what is expected to be one of the most high-profile jobs in British policing, Mr Hughes (53), a former deputy chief constable of Hertfordshire police, will clamp down on "Mr Bigs" and their criminal henchmen.