Energy firms accused of spying on greens

Energy giants E.ON and Scottish Power have been accused of spying on environmental campaigners. The two companies, along with coal producer Scottish Resources Group, are said to have paid a […]

Energy giants E.ON and Scottish Power have been accused of spying on environmental campaigners.

The two companies, along with coal producer Scottish Resources Group, are said to have paid a private security firm to carry out covert monitoring of green activists.

The security company was reported to have sent an employee to infiltrate campaign meetings and also read private emails.

The news comes in the wake of revelations about police officer Mark Kennedy, who spent seven years living with environmental activists to spy on them. Yet the police have stated that within green groups there are many more ‘spies’ who have been hired by commercial firms.

Yesterday, Eli Wilton, a Climate Camp organiser, told The Guardian newspaper: “It’s frightening that in a meeting about how to stop the fossil fuel industry, the person sitting next to you might be a spy paid for by the energy giants themselves.”

E.ON said yesterday that it had hired two security firms on an “ad hoc” basis in an effort to find out when its premises might be invaded by protestors. SRG and Scottish Power did not comment.

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