ONLY eight officials from Bolton Council have the power to enter the town’s homes or businesses – far less than in many areas of the UK.

A new report released by civil liberties and privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch revealed almost 20,000 council officials have Powers of Entry nationwide.

The average local authority has 45 officials with powers of entry with two – Northumberland and Leeds – having more than 500.

There are currently more than 1,000 separate powers which allow public officials to enter private property, although this is currently being reviewed by the government under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.

Emma Carr, director of Big Brother Watch, said: “Few people would expect that public officials would have the power to enter your home or business, often without a warrant or police escort.

"The general public have been left high and dry, at the mercy of an army of pen-pushers who can enter our homes as they please.”