Report calls for restrictions on garda access to private phone records

GARDAÍ are checking the private phone records of hundreds of innocent people every month as part of their investigations into crime, it has been revealed.

The Data Protection Commissioner yesterday called for restrictions to be placed on garda access to phone records, warning there was potential for abuse if no safeguards were introduced.

Commissioner Billy Hawkes said the law must be changed to ensure phone records were only accessed for the investigation of serious crime and only as a last resort if information could not be gathered elsewhere.