Following the Article in the Guardian by Tom Burgis on Sunday 29th June 2025
Our Press & Media Representative Ian D Withers has written to the Author
“The surveillance industry operates in the shadows. For a big enough fee, former members of the special forces, intelligence agencies and police forces conduct sophisticated operations for multinationals, oligarchs and global law firms. Jealous spouses and insurance companies can hire investigators to snoop for a few hundred pounds. Some of the methods used seem intrusive, even unethical – but are they unlawful?”
Tom Burgis
The Guardian
Dear Tom
I am communicating on behalf of the membership and eGroup subscribers of WAPI – World Association of Professional Investigators.
As you intimate in your interesting article in yesterdays Guardian, there is no legislation nor common law restriction of one’s right to conduct a surveillance or indeed to follow a person, provided there is a legal reason, and the surveillance is conducted in a lawful manner. There is of course specific laws to cover certain circumstances, such as criminal stalking, trespass on designated locations and DPA/GDPR and the HRA.
In England and Wales, such surveillance when conducted by the vast majority of professional investigators including specialised surveillance teams, is undertaken in full compliance with any controlling legislation (such as risk assessment requirements when acting for government or quasi-governmental authorities,) and in accordance with the ethical standards or codes of the various professional associations.
Any member of the public has redress if any surveillance causes concern or distress. Either through the stalking provisions of the criminal law, or civil proceedings with damages claim.
Thus, I would respectfully like to assure you (and Guardian readers) that in the UK at least, most professional investigators are very conscious as to the purposes, methods and presentation of the results to our clients who have a genuine legal interest in such surveillances.
Kind regards
Ian (D. Withers)
The World Association of Professional Investigators
Tel: +44-20-3859-9205
4th Floor, 49 St James’s Street, London SW1A 1AH
In compliance with Joint WAPI-IPI-UKPIN Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct
ICO Registration Number: Z6147716 – PII – PC197454
