MORE than 180 council staff have the power to enter into north Essex homes without a warrant, a new study has revealed.

Figures released by civil liberties campaign group, Big Brother Watch, show 186 council inspectors can enter private property in the north of the county without a warrant or a police escort.

They include 80 Essex County Council staff, of whom 60 are trading standards officers and 20 work in planning.

Thirteen staff working for Tendring District Council wield similar powers, as do 27 Braintree District Council staff and 26 Maldon District Council officers.

Uttlesford District Council has the highest number of staff with powers of entry for a north Essex council.

In June, when the survey was carried out, 32 workers were able to enter residents’ homes or workplaces without permission.

Colchester Council had the fewest, with eight staff possessing powers of entry.

Those wielding the powers include inspectors in environmental health, trading standards, planning and animal welfare.

Campaigners said although some of these powers were crucial to residents’ safety, others were needless – such as the authorisation of council staff to check on pot plants, hedges or fridge energy ratings.

They claim some councils are granting powers of entry to ease the admin burden.

Alex Deane, director of Big Brother Watch, which obtained the figures under the Freedom of Information Act, said: “Councils are dishing out powers of entry to officers for their own ease, without giving due thought to the public’s right to privacy and the potential for abuse.

“There needs to be a much closer eye kept on the number of officers granted the right to barge into private premises without a warrant.”

Eleri Roberts, communications officer for Essex County Council, disagreed.

She said: “We would only give it to those people who require it for their day-to-day work, such as trading standards officers, where it is an important part of their job.”