SHY sleuths at a detective agency have objected to plans to turn a neighbouring office block into a house - fearing they could be snooped on.

Plans to convert offices in Bellvue Road, Southampton into a house have worried staff at next door Bray's detective agency.

The agency needs peace and quiet to carry out its work and residents liv-ing next door could get in the way of business, said director Peter Bascombe.

He told the Echo: "We can see enormous problems from people prying into our business. It's happened before - people are very interested in what we do."

Brays, which specialises in private investigations, security advice, bailiffs, insurance probes and debt collection, also carried out the security at the Twyford Down and Newbury bypass protest.

Mr Bascombe said: "The last thing we want is students or youngsters moving in beside us.

"We've already had our place trashed on a couple of occasions fol-lowing our work at Newbury and Twyford and it would be awful if protestors ended up next door."

He pleaded lack of parking space, noise and disturbance as reasons to keep the building as offices.

But council bosses were unmoved, saying the property was considered suitable for housing and wouldn't interfere with the work of the agency.

Planning chief Sue Blatchford said: "They are just worried about anti-GM food activists or tree protesters moving in."

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