Despite a number of requests since January, Wigan council staff have refused to say whether they are accessing confidential e-mails and phone messages sent to and from Wigan Councillors.
Residents are concerned that private e-mails and phone messages sent to Councillors may have been accessed without permission by council staff.
Often e-mails and correspondence contain private information regarding issues of concern, in seeking support from their Councillor residents are sometimes in conflict with Wigan council staff and they expect a certain degree of confidentiality. However in clear breach of data protection legislation, the council has made no comment as to why, when and how often such e-mails and messages are accessed by council staff. Nor do they say who authorises such access.
Wigan council has previous form for this and it was recently discovered that Labour Councillors were passing private e-mails from residents amongst themselves;
www.wigantoday.net/news/local/mayor-kept-rule-breach-under-wraps-1-6554475
The Mayor himself was investigated by the standards board for passing confidential e-mails to his son, regarding the tendering process for some land. He also tried to keep the information quiet.
According to press reports Cllr Clive Morgan standing for re-election is under investigation by the standards board, also it is believed over a similar issue.
UKIP in Wigan will seek the truth and the Information Commissioner's Office will be contacted.
Wigan Council should come clean and admit if they have been hacking e-mails and phone messages of residents.
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