THE full extent of Cleveland Police’s alleged abuse of serious crime legislation will come under the spotlight today.

Top judges will sit and hear evidence about the reasons behind the force seizing the phone records of two journalists from The Northern Echo, a police federation representative, a serving police officer and a federation solicitor.

Cleveland Police have allegedly poured through more than a million minutes of the phone records of former temporary inspector Mark Dias, former chairman of Cleveland Police Federation Steve Matthews, solicitor Alan Samuels and Echo journalists Julia Breen and Graeme Hetherington.

The Investigatory Powers Tribunal, a specialist court presided over by High Court Judges, which rules on whether police and security forces have abused their legal privileges, will sit today and tomorrow in London to hear all the evidence and decide whether the force’s use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) was lawful.

The case is in response to complaints by Mr Dias and Mr Matthews about what they argue was an unlawful use of legislation and breach of privacy.

Documents which will be seen by the court allege that the phone records were seized in 2012 as police tried to hunt down a whistleblower who was the source of a story on racism.

Acting Inspector Mark Dias tipped off The Northern Echo anonymously on April 17, 2012 that a report carried out by the force had uncovered elements of institutional racism.

After that it is alleged that the force tried to track down the whistleblower by using the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), which allows police and other public bodies to check the phone calls of members of the public if they have reason to believe a serious crime has been committed.

It is also alleged as part of the case that police checked every call in and out of The Northern Echo’s main switchboard for 48 hours in early April 2012 – weeks before the tip-off.

The personal mobile phone of Ms Breen, and Mr Hetherington’s work mobile phone, were allegedly checked over a four-month period, along with those of the complainants, the court will hear.

Cleveland Police has in the past refused to confirm or deny the allegations. It is expected to argue today that it believed it was following the legal guidelines to investigate whether a crime had been committed.

RIPA was supposed to regulate the powers of police and public bodies – such as councils – to carry out covert surveillance.

Politicians had hailed it as a major weapon against terrorism and financial crime, but figures show that police used its powers in a far more wide-ranging manner since it became law.

However, the legislation has now been replaced by the so-called ‘Snoopers Charter’ – the Investigatory Powers Bill – which has extended the reach of state surveillance across the country after it was given royal assent and became law last month.

Civil rights groups say RIPA is dangerous because it lacks oversight. Although the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 forced local authorities to apply to a magistrate if they wish to use RIPA, police forces were allowed to sign off their own warrants without any external supervision.

The Act offered extensive powers, including wire taps, interception of mobile communications, monitoring of internet activity and undercover surveillance.

• The Northern Echo will be reporting live from the hearing over the next two days. For the latest updates visit www.thenorthernecho.co.uk