LONDON - Former head of the British secret service MI5 on Tuesday accused the UK government of exploiting the fear of terrorism to restrict civil liberties and expressed her fears that Britain is becoming a police state. Dame Stella Rimington, in an interview with a Spanish newspaper, said: "Since I have retired I feel more at liberty to be against certain decisions of the government, especially the attempt to pass laws which interfere with people's privacy. It would be better that the government recognised that there are risks, rather than frightening people in order to be able to pass laws which restrict civil liberties, precisely one of the objects of terrorism: that we live in fear and under a police state." Dame Stella, 73, added: "The US has gone too far with Guantanamo and the tortures. MI5 does not do that. Furthermore, it has achieved the opposite effect: there are more and more suicide attackers finding a greater justification." The British secret services were "no angels" but insisted they did not kill people, she said. She made her latest remarks as the Home Office prepares to publish plans for a significant expansion of state surveillance, with powers for the police and security services to monitor every email, as well as telephone and internet activity. Despite considerable opposition to the plan, the document will say that the fast changing pace of communication technology means the security services will not be able to properly protect the public without the new powers. Britain's local councils have been criticised for using anti-terrorism laws to snoop on residents suspected of littering and dog fouling offences. In a further blow to the British Government, an international study by lawyers and judges accused countries such as Britain and America of "actively undermining" the law through the measures they have introduced to counter terrorism. The report, by the International Commission of Jurists, said: "The failure of states to comply with their legal duties is creating a dangerous situation wherein terrorism, and the fear of terrorism, are undermining basic principles of international human rights law." A British Home Office spokesman said: "The government has been clear that where surveillance or data collection will impact on privacy they should only be used where it is necessary and proportionate. The key is to strike the right balance between privacy, protection and sharing of personal data. "This provides law enforcement agencies with the tools to protect the public as well as ensuring government has the ability to provide effective public services while ensuring there are effective safeguards and a solid legal framework that protects civil liberties." In her interview, in La Vanguardia newspaper, Dame Stella also described the shock of her two daughters when they discovered she was a spy and told how she used most "gadgets" when she was in office except for "a gun".