COUNCIL officers in Fife have used investigatory powers 13 times in the last two years to try to spy on individuals, according to a new report. Members of the standards and audit committee heard that 12 requests were made to carry out surveillance on locals in 2019, while only one was made this year due to staff being diverted to other duties to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Trading standards officers were responsible for all 13 requests, of which two were refused and the others approved. Each request took the form of online surveillance of individuals suspected of trading in counterfeit goods, unsafe products and what the report branded “misleading health claims”.