We show that a detector placed near a beta-beam storage ring can probe lepton number violating interactions, as predicted by supersymmetric theories with R-parity non-conservation. In the presence of such interactions, ντ can be produced during β-decay leading to tau leptons through weak interactions. Alternatively, electron neutrinos from β-decay of radioactive ions can produce tau leptons in a nearby detector through these interactions. The muons from the decay of these tau leptons can be readily identified in a small iron calorimeter detector and will signal violation of R-parity. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.