NO doubt your readers are comforted that the Tory Government, and its army of state snoopers, is planning to exert an ever-widening blanket over our use of e-mail, social media and internet sites under the term ‘antiterrorist legislation measures (Echo, Nov 5).

There can be no doubt that the ever-increasing army of so-called ‘migrants’ flooding through our ever-porous borders, along with the home-grown mob; will contain a fair proportion of Islamic sympathisers who are ever ready to plot against the inhabitants of the country which has given them sanctuary.

So the Home Secretary is proposing legislation to give those ‘snoopers’ from GCHQ or the security services ever wider powers to find out their plans.

But, because they must be seen to be ‘even-handed’, as well as ‘unbiased’, they must be able to view all of this nation’s subjects online activities, instead of concentrating on the most obvious targets, namely the Muslim population.

No doubt there are many law-abiding members of that Islamic community, but it must be remembered that the vast, if not the overwhelming majority of deadly terror murders and attacks are committed by Muslim fanatics of one type or another.

But it is not just the scope of these ‘anti-terror laws’ alone which gives me pause, but the inclusion of council officials who will be able to snoop on your internet access, as well as your phone and e-mail usage.

I will admit that the very thought of yet another bunch of local politicians gaining access to my private life does not comfort me. I mean, would you be happy if you knew that ‘Simple Simon’ was checking on your digital life; or that a council official whose earlier claim to fame was his employment as a security guard was casting his beady eyes over your private life and correspondence?

GCHQ and MI6; fair enough.

Durham County Council? A definite step too far.

Mike Cunningham, Durham