A DECISION to spy on a family for nearly three weeks has been defended as "minimally invasive" by an independent report.

Poole council made national headlines for watching a family whom it wrongly suspected of abusing its school admissions policy.

Now a monitoring report states the "means of surveillance used was minimally invasive of privacy".

But Jenny Paton, the mother at the centre of the storm, said of Borough of Poole's use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA): "It was a grotesque invasion of our privacy."

Jenny, 39, her partner Tim Joyce and their three children's lives were watched by a council officer over suspicions that they were living outside the catchment area of popular Lilliput First School, where they had applied for a place.

They are seeking legal redress.

The Office of Surveillance Commissioners' two-yearly inspection report, by assistant surveillance commissioner Lord Colville, said the council had made "modest use" of its RIPA powers but questioned the alleged basis of fraud as justif-ication for covert surveillance.

Lord Colville's report recommended the council improve its guidance and said the good practices displayed by the documentation should be underlined by training.

"Okay, their box ticking is in order," said Ms Paton. "Their judgement in the case on the question of last resort, necessity and proportionality to the crime, absolutely they failed.

"There are fewer checks and balances on the actions of council officers than on the police and security services," she added.

Despite the investigation, her daughter was offered a place and has started school.

Council leader Cllr Brian Leverett welcomed the report. "Lord Colville has acknowledged that the council's use of RIPA has been modest, and on those occasions when investigations have been undertaken, its application and authorisation has been exemplary.

"Nevertheless, the council recognises the level of public concern surrounding its limited use of surveillance to verify school applications.

"We regret any distress that may have been caused as a consequence of actions taken to ensure the council's school admissions process is fair to all parents and their children," he said.

The report will form part of a scrutiny committee review of the council's use of RIPA on Tuesday, October 28.