European leaders have ordered police and intelligence agencies to step up their efforts to identify and target the anti-capitalist demonstrators whose violent protests at recent international summits culminated in the death of a protestor at the hands of the police at the Genoa G8 meeting last month.

The Independent reports that the authorities will use a web of police and judicial links to keep tabs on the activities and whereabouts of protestors. Europol, the EU police intelligence sharing agency based in The Hague, is likely to be given a key role.

Civil rights campaigners have reacted with dismay to the plan. Tony Bunyan, editor of Statewatch magazine said "this will give the green light to Special Branch and MI5 to put under surveillance people whose activities are entirely democratic".