Do UK councils hire private investigators?

Yes. Typical uses include benefit fraud enquiries, licensing checks, process serving, fly-tipping surveillance, and background checks, provided work is lawful and proportionate.

Do solicitors use private investigators in the UK?

Frequently. Solicitors instruct PIs for surveillance, witness enquiries, tracing, process serving, and background checks to support cases.

Do police hire private investigators?

It is less common, but there have been instances of forces using PIs or civilians for lower-risk tasks such as witness statements and interviews.

Do private investigators have special powers?

No. UK PIs are not police. They must work within the law, without access to police databases or ISP subscriber data, and should never cold-contact people to request money.

Do Private Investigators Work for Authorities in the UK?

April 27, 2022 - Reading time: 10 minutes
Updated on: September 4, 2025

As the name suggests, private investigators primarily work for private individuals and businesses. Typical instructions include infidelity investigations, due diligence, tracing people, background checks, process serving, and surveillance. That said, the UK public sector sometimes instructs reputable agencies when specialist resource or speed is needed.

Because investigation is a broad field, there are many occasions where experienced PIs support public bodies and provide evidence that stands up to scrutiny, provided everything is done lawfully and proportionately.

Do private investigators work with councils in the UK?

Yes. Local authorities may instruct private investigators directly or via their solicitors in a range of scenarios:

Investigating benefit fraud and unlawful cohabitation

Where single-person discounts, council tax support, or housing benefit are suspected of being claimed unlawfully, councils sometimes commission cohabitation surveillance or lifestyle checks to support a decision. Lawful, time-stamped observations over multiple dates can help show a pattern rather than a one-off visit.

Process serving

Councils often outsource service of documents for cost and speed. Private investigators act as process servers and provide a court-ready Statement/Affidavit of Service. Many matters start with tracing to confirm a current address.

Licensing compliance checks

Test purchases and compliance visits help verify alcohol and tobacco licence conditions. PIs can evidence sales to under-18s, out-of-hours sales, or trading without a licence, acting as impartial third parties.

A person taking a bottle of alcohol from a shelf

Fly-tipping investigations

Private investigators can carry out surveillance at hot spots and deploy unmanned camera equipment where lawful. Evidence helps identify vehicles, timings, and repeat offenders so the council can take action and reduce clean-up costs.

Personal injury and insurance claims

For claims made against councils, investigators may verify the consistency of reported injuries. If a claimant alleging mobility issues is recorded undertaking strenuous activity, the council’s legal team can use that footage to assess the case.

Background checks and internal matters

Where enhanced vetting is prudent, PIs can add OSINT-led reputation checks, open-source court appearance searches, and social media reviews to standard HR screening. They can also examine fraudulent sick leave, theft, moonlighting, and conflicts of interest in a fair, documented manner.

Do private investigators work for solicitors in the UK

Yes. Solicitors frequently use private investigators to gather evidence for civil, family, and commercial cases. Typical instructions include surveillance, witness enquiries, process serving, tracing debtors, asset checks, and background investigations. As lawyer Kate McMahon noted in a BBC piece, some firms “use private investigators for almost every case” (source).

An iris scanner with the PrivateInvestigators-UK logo superimposed

Do private investigators work for police in the UK

Direct employment by police is less common, but collaboration exists. Some forces have trialled hiring civilians and PIs for lower-risk tasks like witness statements and interviews. For example, reports in 2017 suggested Thames Valley Police recruited PIs for certain duties during budget pressure (source). Many PIs are ex-law enforcement, so skills can overlap.

Typical services a UK PI can provide to public bodies

Surveillance and observations with time/date-stamped footage and logs
Process serving with Statements/Affidavits of Service
Tracing and people-finding using lawful OSINT and enquiries
Background and reputation checks including open-source court listings
Test purchases and licensing compliance checks
Evidence packs suitable for council hearings or court

Important - Private investigators in the UK are not police and do not have special powers. We do not access ISP subscriber data or police databases, and we do not contact members of the public to request money. If anyone claims to be a PI and asks you for payment out of the blue, treat it as a scam.

Compliance, proportionality, and standards

Good investigation work is lawful, necessary, and proportionate. That means clear instructions, minimal intrusion, and strong evidence handling. Although the UK has no central licensing regime for PIs, reputable firms operate under data protection law and follow recognised codes of practice. Councils and solicitors should expect:

Clear scope, risk assessment, and lawful basis
Minimal collection focused on the objective
Secure handling and retention of evidence
Concise, court-ready reporting

Speak to Private Investigators UK

If you represent a council, solicitor, or public body and need surveillance, process serving, tracing, or background checks, we can help. We operate nationwide and handle instructions quickly and discreetly. Contact our team for a no-pressure quote.

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