Surveillance is the close and systematic observation of a person, group, behaviour or area to gather information. It can involve active, passive, physical or electronic methods, including following a subject to establish where they go, what they do and who they meet.
Professional surveillance in the UK can legally gather evidence of activities and movements in public places, alongside open-source intelligence, provided the investigation respects privacy and complies with applicable UK law and data protection requirements. Evidence obtained lawfully may potentially be used in legal proceedings.
What Is Investigative Surveillance?
Investigative surveillance is carried out by an experienced team to gather specific intelligence or evidence relating to suspected wrongdoing or another legitimate investigation.
For this type of surveillance, we would usually deploy a three-person team. For prolonged surveillance, a larger team may be necessary to maintain coverage without compromising the operation.
Learn more about our Investigative Surveillance services.
Permitted Surveillance and Evidence
- Public observation: Photographs, video recordings and movement logs gathered in public places, such as streets, parks and publicly accessible commercial areas.
- Open-source intelligence: Publicly available information from social media, public registers and other legitimate online sources.
- Contemporaneous logs: Detailed operational notes recording observations, movements, times and locations as events happen.
- Photographic and video evidence: Covert footage documenting relevant activities where obtaining it is lawful and proportionate.
Surveillance That May Be Unlawful
- Private space intrusion: Recording inside a private residence or private room without appropriate authority can amount to intrusive surveillance and a serious invasion of privacy.
- Trespassing: Unlawfully entering private land, gardens or buildings to observe a subject or install surveillance equipment.
- Unauthorised tracking: The use of GPS or other tracking devices raises significant privacy and data protection considerations and must be carefully assessed before deployment.
- Data interception: Hacking emails, unlawfully intercepting private communications or illegally obtaining confidential financial, tax or medical information.
Is Surveillance Legal in the UK?
Surveillance conducted in public places can be legal in the UK, but investigators must carefully consider privacy, data protection and the circumstances of each assignment.
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) primarily applies to public authorities rather than private investigation companies. However, its principles concerning necessity and proportionality can provide useful best practice when conducting professional surveillance.
It may be necessary to follow a subject for a considerable period while they are in public, whether on foot, in a vehicle, on public transport or entering publicly accessible locations such as shopping centres, pubs and restaurants.
Care must always be taken when unrelated third parties are encountered, particularly children and people who have no relevance to the investigation.
The camera never lies, but professional surveillance must be conducted responsibly.
What Is the Purpose of Surveillance?
The main purpose of surveillance is to gather and accurately record relevant information or evidence.
A full briefing from the client is essential to establish exactly what they are trying to prove and whether the proposed investigation is lawful and proportionate.
Relevant legislation and considerations can include the Human Rights Act 1998, Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.
Specialist Surveillance Equipment
Our surveillance teams use modern specialist equipment that can be discreetly installed in vehicles or body-worn, allowing operatives to gather evidence without drawing attention to themselves.
On appropriate assignments, we have also used drone technology to observe premises that cannot easily be viewed from conventional positions. Drone use must comply with applicable aviation, privacy and data protection requirements.
On one such operation, the aerial evidence obtained was praised by the police team we were working with.
Investigative Surveillance
Some assignments can continue for weeks, following the same people for hours at a time, from when they leave home in the morning until they return in the evening.
It is essential that the operation is not compromised, which is why sufficient experienced operatives must be deployed to cover different eventualities.
Where tracking technology is considered, great care must be taken to establish whether its use is lawful, necessary and proportionate.
Surveillance is not easy and it is definitely not like you see on TV.
Market Surveillance
As part of our brand protection work, Surelock has worked with authorities and provided evidence that has supported enforcement action, including search warrants and raids.
Our surveillance teams visit markets, shopping centres, high street shops, warehouses and storage facilities to gather evidence of suspected counterfeit merchandise being stored or sold.
Where appropriate, activities are covertly video recorded. Our investigations have contributed to some significant counterfeit seizures in the UK.
Learn more about our Brand Protection services.
Test Purchases
Surelock conducts covert test purchases for numerous clients. These can be used to obtain evidence, establish whether staff are adhering to company policies, identify suspected criminal activity or determine whether counterfeit products are being sold.
Where appropriate and lawful, visits can be covertly video recorded so that the evidence may be considered for criminal proceedings, disciplinary hearings or training purposes.
Learn more about our Mystery Shopping and Test Purchasing services.
Company Infiltration.
We are regularly asked to assist companies and organisations that suspect wrongdoing within the workplace.
Depending on the circumstances, this may involve covert surveillance or the deployment of an experienced undercover operative who works alongside existing employees to establish intelligence and gather relevant evidence.
These operations require careful planning and control. Operatives are regularly debriefed and the client is kept informed of relevant findings.
Learn more about our Company Infiltration solutions.
Penetration Tests
Physical penetration tests are carried out by specialist operatives to test the security of a client's premises and determine whether existing systems, procedures and employees are operating effectively.
An operative may study the premises during busy periods before attempting to enter the building and reach an agreed area without being challenged.
These authorised operations can be covertly video recorded for training purposes and to identify areas where security needs to be improved.
Learn more about our Penetration Testing services.
What Intelligence / Evidence Do We Supply?
Following our surveillance operations, we can provide a detailed log showing relevant movements, people met, times, locations and activities, supported by photographic or video evidence.
Where appropriate, we can also provide unedited recordings. Evidence can be prepared for use in legal or disciplinary proceedings, and our operatives can attend court to give evidence regarding their observations.
Clients can also be kept appropriately informed of important developments during an operation.
What Does Surveillance Cost?
We work on an hourly rate. Our current cost is £70 per hour, per operative, plus travel, mileage and necessary expenses.
An average day's surveillance involving a three-person team may therefore cost approximately £2,000, depending on the duration and circumstances of the assignment.
Remember the old saying: "If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well."
It is essential to engage a credible investigation company with the necessary experience and professional standards. Surelock has been a member of the Association of British Investigators (ABI) since 2008.
What Should I Do Next?
If you have concerns and believe professional surveillance could help, contact us for a confidential discussion. We will explain the available options, likely costs and exactly what an investigation may involve.
Surveillance needs to be intelligence-led, carefully planned and professionally conducted. Ron Harrison, Surelock's Managing Director, has more than 50 years' experience in this type of work, so there are very few situations we have not successfully dealt with.
Learn more About Surelock.
You will be in safe hands. If you require professional investigative surveillance in the UK, please contact us:
C: www.surelock.org/contact-us
T: 0333 6000 300
