Business warns of e-snoop danger

E-mails could be monitored in the same way phones are tapped

Legislation which allows police to monitor e-mails could stop Britain playing a leading role in e-commerce, a leading business organisation has warned.

The British Chambers of Commerce has written to Jack Straw to express its concern about the proposed bill.

Director general of the commerce organisation, John Humphries, said that the bill could damage the government's ambition to make Britain the best location to trade electronically.

Until now, concerns about the regulation of such far-reaching powers have mainly been expressed by civil liberties groups.

Under the new bill, police would be able to monitor e-mail traffic in the same way that they can tap phone lines.

British businesses widely regard the proposed measures as being more draconian than those being considered by the UK's major trading partners.