A UK council used powers meant for spying on terrorists to find out if a family was lying about living in a school catchment area. Poole Council put the family under surveillance for two weeks, tracking them as they went about their daily lives.
Surveillance notes included “female and three children enter target vehicle and drive off” and “curtains open and all lights on in premises”. The investigation began after the couple applied to send their three-year-old daughter to a local school. The family put their home up for sale, but remained there until January cut-off point to ensure their daughter qualified.