A PETITION against ‘Government snooping’ was handed to Colne Valley Conservative MP Jason McCartney this weekend.

The petition, which has received nearly 140,000 signatures, was put forward by members of 38 Degrees – an online campaigning community claiming one million supporters which scored a big victory last year against Government plans to sell off English forests.

Organiser of the meeting David Roberts said: “The Government wants new powers to invade our privacy every single day.

“They want to store records on who we call, text and email, and which websites we visit – without any kind of warrant or reason.

“Our civil liberties have taken a battering in recent years from politicians of all backgrounds.

“Now it’s time for us to make a stand.”

The petition called on the forthcoming Draft Communications Bill to be reversed.

MP Jason McCartney said: “I am a firm believer in civil liberties and it’s important that law abiding citizens shouldn’t be snooped on under the guise of national security.

“I have confidence that the government will listen to views of civil liberty groups”.