I was at Wilderspool on Sunday to witness a magnificent performance by the Leigh RL team and enjoy a fantastic atmosphere in the railway end with the Leigh supporters who sang and backed the team to the hilt.

Not an ounce of trouble was reported before, during or after the game as good natured banter was exchanged between the two sets of supporters.

However, an incident before the kick-off has prompted me to write to the Chief Constable of Cheshire asking for his reaction to points I make here.

Prior to the kick-off two officers from the Cheshire constabulary came over to the Leigh end of the ground and started to film the law abiding crowd with a video camera.

Now, leaving aside the fact that they only filmed Leigh supporters, the point is that an explosion of surveillance by agents of the state has now become the norm without any of us asking exactly why and how the tapes taken from the filming will be used. I think it is time we did start to ask.

The truth of the matter is that surveillance has now become part of everyday life and yet it has proceeded without any statutory regulation or any consultation or debate from the people they take these still images of and keep -- the citizens of this country.

Did any of us ask to be filmed on Sunday? Do any of us know how the film will be used? How long will it be kept? Who will have access?

These are all questions which are legitimate and yet are not addressed at all by the Government who have not made the regulation of surveillance a matter for the law.

After all, the human rights act has framed in legislation a number of rights for the individual such as the right to privacy which are not facilitated by the police indiscriminately pointing a video camera at a crowd of people just there to enjoy a day out.

It seem to me the predictions of George Orwell in "1984" are coming to fruition in ways even he would not have envisaged.

Big Brother is watching you people and it is time the Government, police and local authorities were made accountable to the law by framing in statute codes of conduct in the use of surveillance equipment. Maybe then they will have some legitimacy for constantly taking your picture as you stand in crowds or walk the streets, but only then.

Councillor Peter Turner,

Taunton Avenue, Leigh.