Thousands of officials should lose right to enter your home without a warrant, peers say An estimated 20,000 officials - mainly working for councils across the country - have the right to entry the homes of Britons without a warrant. Lord Marlesford said: "In our country the right to privacy and to enjoy property or conduct legitimate business without state intrusion has been a longstanding freedom. It has echoes going back 800 years to Magna Carta. The fact that the police could not in general enter people's homes or businesses without a magistrates" warrant was a "cherished" freedom. Yet there were more and more laws giving officials the right to enter premises "without so much as a by your leave." He said many of the powers of entry allowed officials to "intrude, intimidate and even oppress." Lord Scott of Foscote, a former Lord Justice of Appeal and independent crossbencher added: "The notion that officials can be given power, without any judicial approval, to enter premises of private people, search those premises, remove what they believe to be relevant to their regulatory function seems quite contrary to ... how the rule of law should operate." Proper safeguards, he said, were essential and warned of huge public indignation at having "faceless regulators demanding entry, rummaging through their cupboards and papers, without any judicial authorisation." Labour backed the move. Shadow Lords leader Baroness Royall of Blaisdon warned against hampering the legitimate use of powers of entry but said she was inclined to support the amendment. Opposing the move, Home Office minister Lord Henley warned it could "seriously inhibit" the ability of firefighters and others to protect the public. The Bill already contained provisions to review powers of entry and introduce further safeguards. Lord Henley said he had some sympathy with the aim of the amendment but insisted the Government's efforts to tackle the problem were a better means of proceeding. Lord Henley warned that Lord Marlesford's amendment could impede authorities' ability to respond quickly and effectively in cases such as an outbreak of foot and mouth disease. New safeguards could be added on a "case by case" basis. Nick Pickles, director of privacy and civil liberties group Big Brother Watch, said: "This is a real victory for civil liberties and gives people real protection from faceless officials who expect to be able to enter our homes for spurious reasons. Our research was the first to expose how these powers could be exercised by 20,000 council officials and it is a triumph for freedom that these intrusions into our homes will require a warrant. A Home Office spokesman said: "These amendments are unworkable in practice and potentially put the public at risk. We will seek to overturn these amendments when the Bill returns to the Commons. A balance must be struck between protecting the interests of the individual and the wider protection of the public. One size does not fit all.