Whitehall questions unused face-mask laws and weighs covert surveillance after far-right port blockades

UK government orders police to improve intelligence after masked far-right groups blockaded Dover and Portsmouth ports over the weekend, catching Kent and Hampshire police by surprise. Whitehall officials are questioning why existing face-mask prohibition laws were not applied at either protest and are considering whether the threshold for covert surveillance warrants has been met, as the National Police Coordination Centre intensifies monitoring.