Home Office seeks data records

Senior police officials have warned that the rapid proliferation in internet-based telephone traffic are hindering their ability to track and fight criminals.

Services such Skype, which allows users to route telephone calls through the internet, mean that olice are unable to ascertain who is calling who, and when, as individual call records are not maintained.

The revelation comes as Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has set out plans to allow the Government to obtain data from internet sites such as Facebook and Bebo as well as gaming networks.

There is a growing belief in intelligence circles that serious criminals and terrorists are using social networking sites to exchage information under the guise of more innocent activities.

At present police officers have to make an application each time they want to access data such as when texts and phone calls were made. The new plans will allow Government agencies to find out when data has been sent, but not to access the commnications themselves without ministerial approval.