A COVERT surveillance operation authorised by a Northern Ireland police chief in a bid to unmask a journalistic source was unlawful, a tribunal has ruled.

The Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) quashed the decision made by former Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) chief constable Sir George Hamilton, to approve the Directed Surveillance Authorisation in an investigation into the leaking of a confidential document that appeared in a documentary on a Troubles massacre.

The tribunal, chaired by Lord Justice Singh, also awarded damages of £4,000 each to documentary makers Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney, in a judgment issued today.