THE three major parties were accused yesterday of striking a deal in private after they nudged through emergency legislation allowing security services even more access to snoop on the public.

The government has claimed that urgent measures are required after a European Court of Justice ruling raised the prospect that communications companies could start deleting material including mobile phone and internet data.

Home Secretary Theresa May claimed that the Data Retention and Investigatory Power Bill would not introduce the so-called snoopers’ charter as there was no coalition agreement on the issue.