In February 2018 the 'Future Dorset' plan was approved by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid, which meant that Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole borough councils were merged into one unitary authority in April 2019.

After the election, a Conservative administration was formed[6] with a cabinet of seven councillors who were responsible for deciding how the Council's strategies and policies were implemented and how the budget was spent.

The surveillance was carried out by one of Poole Borough Council's education officers, who followed the family's movements for 24 consecutive days between 10 February and 4 March 2008.

[8] Tim Martin, the council's head of legal services, authorised the surveillance and initially argued that it was justified under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000,[9] set up to counter serious crime, including terrorism.

However, at a subsequent tribunal, the Council's actions were ruled unlawful on multiple grounds: there was nothing, for instance, to suggest that the family's three young children had committed any criminal act, yet they were still made targets of the surveillance.