http://www.thisisbradford.co.uk/news/tibnews/display.var.772727.0.village_on_spy_alert_as_bugging_device_is_found.php
Village on spy alert as bugging device is found
RUMOURS of espionage, subterfuge and unsavoury
goings-on abound in the otherwise serene
surroundings of a Dales village following the
discovery of a sophisticated bugging device.
And speculation is rife among the bemused
residents into the possible identification of the
spy, who is yet to come in from the cold.
The bug was found by Settle electrician Ian
Preston, who was carrying out statutory safety
checks on electrical equipment in Malham Village Hall.
The device, said to be of a sophisticated,
professional type, was hidden inside a 13amp twin
socket on the wall, inside a room used by the whole community.
Alan Boatwright, secretary of the Village Hall
Committee, who organised the electrical checks,
said the discovery had caused a great deal of amusement in the village.
There is also humorous speculation as to who is
actually under surveillance and who may have hidden the bug.
Mr Boatwright told the Herald the electrical
check was ordered so that they could obtain a
safety certificate. Mr Preston had installed the
original sockets just a few years ago.
Mr Boatwright explained: "I went along to the
village hall to see how everything was going on
and Ian said something was wrong with one of the
sockets because he was having trouble getting a proper reading.
"We decided to take the cover off and inside
there was what we discovered to be a miniature
microphone and wires and other things which I
assume acted as some sort of transmitting device.
"We were amazed. It certainly looked like a
professional, sophisticated piece of equipment," he added.
The socket is at waist height and had a pinhole
drilled in the bottom with a wire poking out
underneath, so no-one would be able to see it
without getting down and looking up.
The new socket had been wired up so it could
still be used by conventional electrical
equipment while the bugging device remained inside.
A typical surveillance device of this type with a
transmitting range of between 400 and 600 metres
could cost anything up to around £280, although
examples advertised on the internet can be bought from as little as £40.
"Finding it has led to all sorts of speculation
and people can't stop laughing about it," said Mr
Boatwright. "All that goes on in the hall are
things like parish council and village hall
meetings, toddler groups, WI meetings and a monthly whist drive.
"People are joking that it must be the WI that's
being spied on, although some of us have other ideas."
He added that the Village Hall Committee held a
meeting after the find and a member, who was a
former police officer, said the bug had to be
handed in to the police as placing listening
devices in public places was a criminal offence.
"We did this and the police were just as amazed
as everyone when they saw it," he said.
PC Vanessa Bateson, of Grassington Police,
quipped that perhaps a notice should be put in
the Herald suggesting the owner contact the
police station if they wanted the device back.
5:10pm today
By Viv Mason
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Received on Sat Mar 02 2024 - 00:57:18 CST