Controversy over funding for e-crime unit

Published on 18 May 2007

The National E-Crime Unit, set up to tackle online crime like, computer hacking, child pornography and fraud will be funded by companies from the private sector, sparking concerns that the results of investigations may be compromised, reports telegraph.co.uk.

Lord Erroll, of the Lords Science and Technology Committee, said: "It is the wrong way to finance a police unit as it will be answerable to private companies. He who pays the piper calls the tune."

As we reported last month, there is already discontent over the new protocol for reporting online fraud. Under this system it is banks and not police who will be the first to be informed of such offences.