Scotland Yard Admits Spying On 'Sick Leave' Detective On Holidays

Scotland Yard has admitted lying and spying on one of its own officers after she went on holiday while she was on sick leave.

Detective Constable Andrea Brown won a claim for breaches of data protection and human rights laws after the force admitted it had used a bogus law to get her personal details.

Ms Brown, who is in her 40s, was once a poster girl for the Metropolitan Police with her photograph hanging in the force's reception area.

But her battle with the force after she quit left her "emotionally, mentally and financially drained", she said.

The judge described a senior officer who investigated Ms Brown as "glib, almost flippant" with a "loose and casual grasp of the law".

Ms Brown, who says she sold her home to fund her case, is waiting for the court to assess damages.

She joined the force in 1993 and became a detective constable, but later went on sick leave with depression.

In 2011 her father died and she decided to take her mother and teenage daughter to visit family in Barbados for a fortnight.

She told her union representative, but not her line manager - a minor disciplinary matter - prompting a senior officer, Detective Inspector Sarah Rees, to use crime-fighting powers to investigate her colleague.

Det Insp Rees engaged the National Border Targeting Centre, a part of the UK Border Force operated by Greater Manchester Police.

She also managed to persuade Virgin Atlantic to hand over details of Ms Brown's travel details, quoting a non-existent 2007 Police Act.

Ms Brown told the BBC: "She hadn't given a reason why she wanted the information... she hadn't got it authorised.

"But yet she was able to get details of my and my daughter's travel, and obtained five years worth of information about my travel movements."

Ms Brown sued the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police for breach of data protection, human rights and misuse of personal information.

Just before the hearing last month both forces admitted breaching the Data Protection Act and Ms Brown's right to respect for her family and private life under Article 8 of the Human Rights Act.

In July, the court ruled both forces had misused private information, although the judge rejected a claim for misfeasance in public office.

Ms Brown's solicitor advocate David Gray-Jones said: "What is significant is that the judge commented that the senior police officers involved in this case didn't appear to have any appreciation or understanding of the laws that regulate their conduct in this area, and didn't acknowledge that they had done anything wrong."

The Metropolitan Police said it had successfully defended Ms Brown's civil claim for misfeasance in a public office.

It added: "A final judgement and ruling on damages is awaited from the court and expected in the near future.

"Therefore, at this stage we will not be commenting further on the case."

Greater Manchester Police said: "We acknowledge the findings of the court."

Det Insp Rees has since retired from the Metropolitan Police.

No officer had been disciplined over the case.

Ms Brown said: "They are the ones who are supposed to be upholding the law, and protecting members of the public by chasing after people who have broken the law - criminals.

"I am not a criminal, my daughter is not a criminal.

"I can't understand why they would feel justified in taking the action they did. It was totally excessive."