AN LGBT anti-cuts group called on Sussex Police yesterday to stop intimidating one of its Brighton campaigners following revealations she had been monitored over the last two years.

Queers Against the Cuts (QUAC) founder Beth Granter was left stunned when she received a phone call at her workplace last week saying she had been identified as the organiser of events the police was concerned about. 

She was contacted several times on her work phone and personal mobile over her involvement in political groups and events she had attended.

Ms Granter said: “It feels quite frightening and leaves me quite anxious.”

And according to Ms Granter, the technical support officer handling her case said there was little she could to clear her name as she “was now irrevocably connected to this event and listed as the organiser.”

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Betts said: “It is routine to contact people about events they are involved in and talking about, this includes on social media.”

But QUAC has since made clear that it regards the actions as an attack on civil rights.

Ms Granter was approached by the police back in 2012 when she publicly criticised the kettling of the QUAC bloc at that year’s Pride parade.

She believes she has been monitored since and is looking into getting hold of her records with Sussex Police through a freedom of information request.

QUAC spokesman Joseph Healy told the Star that “the story of the harassment of Beth Granter by Sussex Police demonstrates that as long as the LGBTQ community go to corporate Pride events and ignores political issues they will be tolerated.

“However, as soon as someone like Beth puts her head over the parapet about issues like austerity or having genuine political grass roots organised Pride events they will be slapped down by the state.”

The anti-cuts group has also called on the police to explain the reasons behind a behaviour they labelled as “harassment.”

“There was no intention to intimidate and she was not singled out,” Mr Betts said.