Thread by @copscampaign

Today, the #SpycopsInquiry is due to hear summaries of two officers' deployments HN80 & HN106, introduce some documents associated with HN356, and then hear evidence from HN126...

The Inquiry will be streaming a moving transcript on Youtube:

If you're based in England or Wales, and would like to hear an audio-stream featuring the officer's voice, you'll need to register on the @ucpinquiry website for access via a Zoom webinar.

There is a ten-minute delay on all of these options – and on our tweeting/ reporting.

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@ucpinquiry First today we will hear a summary of HN80.
You can read more about 'Colin Clark' on pages 215 – 224
of the CTI opening statement
ucpi.org.uk/wp-content/upl…

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@ucpinquiry This undercover infiltrated the Socialist Workers Party and was particularly active in the Right to Work marches. He is still alive, and despite Mitting having previously said his deployment was 'of significance', he is not being called to give live evidence in the Inquiry.

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@ucpinquiry He has provided a witness statement. This is now available for you to download from: ucpi.org.uk/publications/f…

He was deployed between 1977-1982 – he worked in Special Branch's 'C' and 'E' squads before joining the #spycops unit.

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@ucpinquiry He joined the Seven Sisters branch of the SWP, from March 1977 onwards. He also reported on the Anti Nazi League (ANL).

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@ucpinquiry He was told about the SDS by Rick Clark (HN297). He found a death certificate, but used a different fore-name and his own birth date.

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@ucpinquiry He says he had "strong family values" and included a serious long-distance relationship in his cover story so that he could avoid relationships with activists.

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@ucpinquiry HN80 didn't enjoy the weekly meetings at the SDS safe-houses, and was concerned about the #spycops security.
He had a cover flat in North London and was sent to spy on the "extreme left wing".

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@ucpinquiry He found it easy to make his way into SWP meetings (they were public) and also got to know members of the Haringey and Tottenham branches. He reported details of their lives, children, health conditions etc.

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@ucpinquiry He submitted copies of the SWP's weekly bulletins to the #spycops office - this was an internal party document with lots of details of the SWP's circulation, and the organisation's plans.

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@ucpinquiry We know that HN80 attended an ANL conference in Birmingham in Nov 1978. He reported on other groups, incl the Young Liberals and Labour party members.

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@ucpinquiry He went to at least one demo about the death of Blair Peach. He went to demonstrate at Grunwick. He joined the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers (AUEW).

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@ucpinquiry He submitted a very detailed report before the Right to Work march in 1980, and another after it.

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@ucpinquiry His reports included reports of school children getting involved in politics.

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@ucpinquiry He says that at one point he was asked to join the SWP's Central Committee, but turned this down, with the excuse that he was too busy. He was able to provide high-end intelligence to his managers as he had access to the SWP headquarters and a lot of information.

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@ucpinquiry He now says that the groups he infiltrated were not in fact 'subversive'.

He notes that he also came into contact with people who supported Irish republicanism - but very little of these reports are in the bundle provided.

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@ucpinquiry There also seem to be reports missing from November 1978 - the spring of 1979.

He received overtime payments during his time in the SDS.

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@ucpinquiry He was withdrawn after his cover identity was compromised - he was recognised by SWp paper sellers near his real home.

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@ucpinquiry HN106 used the name 'Barry Tompkins'
You can read more about Barry Tompkins (HN106) on pages 239 - 256
We are told that his health is deteriorating, and this is why he is not giving evidence to the Inquiry.

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@ucpinquiry He also spent time in Special Branch before joining the SDS – he says he approached Mike Ferguson (the unit's manager) and asked to join. He spied on one main group – The Spartacist League of Britain (SLB) - between 1979 and 1983

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@ucpinquiry - as well as the Revolutionary Communist Tendency (RCT), Revolutionary Marxist (RMT) Tendency and East London Workers Against Racism (ELWAR)

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@ucpinquiry He has provided a witness statement. This is now available for you to download from:
ucpi.org.uk/publications/f…

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@ucpinquiry Tompkins used the name and date of birth of a deceased child called Lionel Barry Tompkins to construct his cover identity.

He shared a flat in Stoke Newington with another undercover officer, Michael James (HN96) who is giving evidence to the Inquiry on the 13th May.

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@ucpinquiry He has recalled the #spycops meeting every week in the safe-houses, and said that he would also phone in to the back office every day.

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@ucpinquiry He reported on groups - their membership and plans - attended demos and would help to identify activists.

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@ucpinquiry The earliest report relating to Tompkins is dated 30 May 1979. It includes a leaflet issued by the Friends of Blair Peach Committee concerning the circumstances which led to the death of Blair Peach on 23 April 1979 during an anti-National Front demonstration.

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@ucpinquiry He says he does not remember attending Blair Peach's funeral.

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@ucpinquiry He bought a paper from the Spartacist League and then got more involved with the group, attending their meetings and socialising with them.

He believes they saw him as a trusted friend rather than a member.

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@ucpinquiry He moved on to the Rev Marxist Tendency - most of his reports from 1980 onwards are about them - this later changed its name to the Revolutionary Communist Group (RCG) - then Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP)....

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@ucpinquiry Tompkins also describes forming a new activist group (or faction) with two individuals he had met through either the Spartacist League or the RMT. He states that this arose from them expressing dissatisfaction with the groups they were already involved in.

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@ucpinquiry He was offered the chance to go to a 'training' event in Russia but on the advice of his managers did not go there.

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@ucpinquiry He also alleges that he passed info to someone who he believed to be involved in some 'foreign security service' - and was paid hundreds of £s for this - he says the SDS office knew about this arrangement.

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@ucpinquiry He also remembers the work done to defend families who were under attack by racists in this era - he got involved in East London WAR

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@ucpinquiry Anti-racist campaigning was a focus of many SDS officers – including that of Black Justice campaigns even where the campaign groups were led by family members of the victim.

Back in 2018, we compiled a list of these campaigns: campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/2018/02/14/whi…

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@ucpinquiry Tompkins also records a ELWAR meeting on 19 April 1983 relating to its involvement in the case of a 13-year-old ‘West-Indian’ boy who was beaten up and stabbed by the police and whose case had been turned down by a law firm

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@ucpinquiry It is asked whether the incident would have the same ‘agitative effect’ as the Colin Roach Campaign (which was also spied upon).

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@ucpinquiry Further reports attributed to Tompkins also include meetings of other justice campaigns. This includes the Hackney Legal Defence Committee, Newham 8 Defence Campaign, the New Cross Massacre Action Committee and the Winston Rose Action Campaign.

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@ucpinquiry Tompkins also commented that he reported all information available to him and his reports seem to bear him out on this issue at least....

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@ucpinquiry His reporting includes personal information about individuals, including addresses, telephone numbers, occupations, employer details and car descriptions together with registration numbers.

And things like cystitis, abortions and 'large bosoms'.

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@ucpinquiry He says that he had a close and platonic relationship with a woman who was an ex-partner of an activist - and that although people referred to as 'Barry's girlfriend' did not have a sexual relationship with him.

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@ucpinquiry However an MI5 document says Tompkins has been ‘warned off’ a [redacted group/individual] as he has ‘probably bedded’ a woman.

Tompkins denies this accusation that the only reason why he remembers her is because she had a ‘party trick’ that she would lactate on demand.

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@ucpinquiry Although he took part in some criminal damage (spray-painting_ he was never arrested in his cover identity.

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@ucpinquiry Tompkins says that for a period in the 1990s, he worked as a private investigator. He describes one occasion when he was asked to carry out a check for a company considering investing in a business proposition and to do so pretended to be a potential investor – using a fake name.

@ucpinquiry Finally, you can read more about 'Bill Biggs' (HN356) is on pages 225 – 238.
He is dead, and his real name is restricted. The Inquiry is publishing some documents that are linked to him.

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@ucpinquiry The documents being referred to today are now on the @ucpinquiry website, so you can finally read them for yourself:

ucpi.org.uk/hearing/eviden…

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@ucpinquiry These include HN80's statement - at ucpi.org.uk/publications/f…

and HN106's statement - at ucpi.org.uk/publications/f…

#spycops

@ucpinquiry Finally, today we have one former undercover giving evidence.

This is HN126, who used the cover name 'Paul Gray'. His real name is restricted.

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@ucpinquiry He is the only former undercover whose face is not being streamed to the hearing room, so we will have no idea if his face turns pink or he starts sweating...
Today we are being denied a view of Mitting himself, and all the lawyers who are speaking.
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@ucpinquiry HN126 joined the SDS in September 1977; he was married at the time; he says there was a short (half hour) interview but the process was fairly informal.

He stayed on in Special Branch for the rest of his career.
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@ucpinquiry You can now now download his witness statement from ucpi.org.uk/publications/f…

#spycops

@ucpinquiry HN126 was deployed in to the Socialist Workers’ Party (SWP) in north-west London, and involved himself in the Anti-Nazi League (ANL).

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@ucpinquiry ‘Paul Gray’ was the name of a deceased child. In his statement, he describes using the individual’s name and date of birth but says he did not adopt any other aspect of their identity
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@ucpinquiry To add to his written statement...
He says that he had a typewriter at home, so sometimes typed things up himself; the rest of his reports were handwritten for the SDS office staff to do.
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@ucpinquiry He was in Special Branch for nine years before joining the #spycops.

He joined 'C' Squad after the SDS, and says he spent a year based in that office – he says this wasn't just the industrial section.

'C' squad's remit included left-wing extremism and public order.
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@ucpinquiry He was invited to join the #spycops by a friend who was part of the squad – he had been undercover himself, and told 'Paul' that he'd be “good at the job”.
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@ucpinquiry At that time, he only “vaguely” knew what the work of the SDS was – its officers were sent to different areas of London to infiltrate various political groups.
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@ucpinquiry At first he didn't take up the suggestion but a few years later decided to make himself available for #spycops work. By this time, his friend had moved on (back into wider Special Branch).
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@ucpinquiry He has described Special Branch as having a “collegiate” atmosphere; they were a small close group and knew each other. Those involved in recruiting him to the SDS were familiar to him.
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@ucpinquiry His witness statement goes into more about the recruitment process. He can't remember what was asked or said about his marital status, but says everyone was aware of his home-life; they all socialised together, along with their wives.
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@ucpinquiry Was he permitted to share details of his work with his wife? He can't remember.
He says he thought “you had to be married” to join the squad – as this “led to a secure background, a secure home..."
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@ucpinquiry I suppose it was good to have somebody at home when you came back after a long weekend or a long day” and explained that this was “so you wouldn't go round the bend”.
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@ucpinquiry Did the SDS speak to his wife about this new role? He doesn't think so.

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@ucpinquiry ucpi.org.uk/publications/m…
[MPS-726912]
We were shown a letter sent anonymously (by “an ex friend of a Hairy”) to the Met's Commissioner in 1980.
It talks of #spycops having sexual relationships, including on police property.
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@ucpinquiry The police suspected that this letter was sent by HN126's wife – by this time the couple were going through divorce proceedings – and the accompanying report seems to confirm this.
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@ucpinquiry The police say that they “discreetly obtained” a sample of her handwriting and thought it “highly probable” that she wrote this accusatory letter.
By May 1980, 'Paul' had met his next wife – a colleague at the Yard.
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@ucpinquiry “Nothing is contained in the letter which was not already known by his supervising officers” - is this true? Did he tell his managers what was going on?
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@ucpinquiry He says that he had to ask for permission to move into the police accommodation, and kept them updated about his personal circumstances.
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@ucpinquiry They didn't proactively ask him about these things.
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@ucpinquiry He denies having any relationship while in his undercover identity – saying this is “something I would never have done”, adding that “none of my colleagues at the time were expected to”.
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@ucpinquiry How did his deployment affect his health and his relationship? Well, obviously it contributed to the divorce. He says “Barry and Ray were both aware”, and that he offered to resign, but was persuaded not to.
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@ucpinquiry Asked more about what about his #spycops deployment made things more difficult,
“I can't really answer that question”.
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@ucpinquiry He confirmed that the #spycops wives and partners were also aware of the unit's nickname; the 'Hairies'.
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@ucpinquiry He says that HN356 showed him how to create his cover identity – by locating the birth certificate of a child who then died at a young age.
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@ucpinquiry He was instructed to do this by HN608 (real name Ken Pryde), who was the Chief Inspector at the time. He doesn't remember any discussion about this practice, or being given any options.
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@ucpinquiry “We'd all watched the Day of the Jackal, a few years earlier, when it came out” he explained the source of this tradecraft.
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@ucpinquiry He knew that another #spycop ( real name Rick Clarke) had been presented with a copy of Rick Gibson's death certificate, but didn't question the practice, saying that Ken/ the SDS office staff reassured him about this.
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@ucpinquiry In his written statement, HN126 suggests that Conrad Dixon made up the identity-stealing technique, but today he says it came from the Day of the Jackal.
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@ucpinquiry He was also told that “there were other parts of his deployment” that wouldn't affect hom, and has the idea that this meant not copying what Rick was rumoured to have done...
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@ucpinquiry – other #spycops believed that his relationships with women while undercover were what led to his identity being compromised.

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@ucpinquiry He got a driving licence in his new name. He may have got a passport too, but says he never travelled abroad.
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@ucpinquiry He didn't do any research into the family of the real 'Paul Gray'. He says he didn't give much thought to them finding out that he had done this – especially as he had only stolen selectively from this identity.
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@ucpinquiry Did anyone (in the office) 'test' his fake identity?

He planned to “bluff his way through” if his identity was ever questioned.

@ucpinquiry He attended the meetings at the safe-house during initial 6 months in the SDS back-office.

He was asked more about what he learnt at these meetings, how did he pick up on things if he didn't speak directly with those who were already deployed?

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@ucpinquiry “I hadn't a clue what the other officers were doing”
claiming that they didn't talk much about their deployments.

He went on to say that he actually learnt a lot due to this Inquiry taking place.
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@ucpinquiry He said the undercovers would bring their reports to these meetings.

Sometimes an Inspector would come along and give them a “promotion class” (to prepare them for police exams)..
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@ucpinquiry He would sometimes request a one-to-one meeting with managers - “on a squash court or wherever”.
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@ucpinquiry In his written witness statement he told of going to the pub / chatting with deployed officers after these meetings had finished for the day.

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@ucpinquiry This suggests that he would have known which group he would be deployed into before it happened, and known the other officers infiltrating that group....

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@ucpinquiry What else did he do to prepare?

He remembers being given reports to read – from deployed officers and perhaps also some policy reports.

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@ucpinquiry Next, he was asked about other officers from that era, who were also deployed into the Socialist Workers Party (SWP)...
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@ucpinquiry Did HN356 give him any more advice?
Yes.
He says he remained closest to this officer.
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@ucpinquiry HN296 was also in the SWP – what was his advice?
HN126 does not remember – saying that he was “winding down” at the time – in fact, he may even have replaced him in the same “general area of London”.
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@ucpinquiry He says many of the reports he's been provided with look like they may have been written by HN296.
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@ucpinquiry He knew HN80 very well before they joined the squad, but noted that they were based in different parts of London.
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@ucpinquiry He remembers meeting HN354, who was deployed in East London, and remembers him joining the unit “very quickly” after entering Special Branch.
He says they weren't particularly close.
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@ucpinquiry He says he doesn't remember being involved in writing 'composite reports' with these officers, and said that these were often compiled by C Squad.
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@ucpinquiry He also remembers HN96 – who followed him in the field – and agrees that he may well have given him advice.
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@ucpinquiry There was then a 15 minute break in proceedings at the #spycopsinquiry
During which @tombfowler
and others reacted - see facebook.com/514251120/vide…

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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler Was he given advice about forming relationships with those he spied upon?
He says “I was allowed to get close”. He used his cover van to give the activists lifts.
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler He says “If I'd heard about anybody else having a sexual relationship I'd have reported it to the office”
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler He doesn't remember any guidance about committing crimes, saying it was “common sense” - and that it was expected that the #spycops would drive home after drinking in pubs with activists (and driving them home too)
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler “It was very difficult to have more alcohol than was permitted because that was the day of Watney's red tankard... he mumbled something about this,
adding that his cover employment was as a driver, so he had to be careful, and sometimes left early
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler He cannot remember anything else about committing crime.

He says things were left to the “common sense” of the undercovers,
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler t wasn't possible to guess in advance which demos might turn violent, but he tried to avoid it.
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler He claimed not to have any understanding at all of the phrase 'legal professional privilege'.
There was no formal guidance about what to include in reports, or any legal limits on the undercovers' activities.
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler Was he given advice by the managers at the time – HN68 and Mike Ferguson?

“We were big friends” he explained that he knew them both before joining the unit. His witness statement was glowing about them, calling them “absolutely brilliant” and “very experienced”
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler What would they discuss about the group?
If it was increasing/ decreasing in numbers, whether it was time for him to move on to another group...
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler Did other #spycops enjoy similarly close and supportive relationships with the managers?
HN126 doesn't know.
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler On page 31 of his statement – he says he spoke to his fellow #spycops before the office, but was in daily telephone contact with the SDS office. He played squash with the managers.
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler He also described going out for a curry with the other #spycops but said that at such social events they would try not to discuss their deployments (unless they badly needed advice about some aspect of the work).
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler He says this group would have included HN355 and HN356.

What about HN80 (cover name Colin Clark)?

“Probably not, as he always had to get back to his area of London, which was a long way away”

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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler He says HN155 (cover name Phil Cooper) and HN106 (Barry Tompkins) both came along later than him.

He doesn't think HN155 ever went for promotion, so didn't attend those promotion classes.
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler He doesn't remember anything else about sharing advice – it was 45 years ago
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler In his statement he says that several of his colleagues were reporting on the Grunwick dispute. How did he know this?

He said he was brought in to replace an officer who had reported on Grunwick in the past. (115)

@ucpinquiry @tombfowler “You have to remember”- this dispute went on for two years and entailed daily strike action.

They telephoned each other early in the morning about the likely size of that day's picket.

He repeats that he does not recall writing any reports about Grunwick himself.
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler Does he remember joking and banter of the kind described by other former #spycops ?
He says he doesn't either, in the safe-houses or in the pub afterwards.

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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler “I wouldn't have approved of it and I quite honestly can't imagine any of the colleagues that I knew doing anything of that sort” he claims

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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler He said he only heard about HN354's relationships the other day – and was very surprised - “I never knew what was going on, but then again, I wasn't in his circle”
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler He added that he didn't even know until the other day that he had been in the SWP, denying that they had ever done any undercover work together.
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler Does he still – now he knows about these matters - think his contemporaries did an “exemplary job”?
“Yes, I probably do”
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler Next, he was asked about HN155.
He denies having much to do with him while undercover– he said he would see him sometimes at meetings.

He also denies hearing about 'Phil' having sexual relationships, or about the details of any other problems with his conduct.
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler He also refuted hearing about any suggestions that HN10 was sexually involved during his deployment.

He says he didn't hear such rumours about any other undercovers (excluding HN297) at the time, but read about some of them in the papers more recently.
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler He recalled that the District Area Commissioner (DAC) and other senior police officers visited the SDS.

He said that the Crime AC was “shocked by seeing us” but didn't explain this any further at first.
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler After some more questioning...
It appears that this shock was caused by the outward appearance of the #spycops and the untidiness of the SDS flat

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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler <he said they were “smelly” as well as “hairy” - it is unclear why smelliness was essential for their cover>

But “We always fed them well” and they went away happy....

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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler The next point was about the process of producing reports.

He would submit his reports to the SDS back office – they added Registry File (RF) numbers where these existed for the groups and individuals mentioned in them
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler He had suggested earlier that he would look at the reports which came back to him, and see if there were RF numbers added in.
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler Was he able to access the Registry Files himself?
He supposed he could ask for access, but said “sometimes it's not a good idea to know to much” - he faltered while trying to explain this concept further.
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler He explained more about how these files would be updated – officers wrote a more through report about the groups they infiltrated as their deployments came to an end.
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler He repeatedly said that the Inquiry would have to ask those who worked in the office more about these issues.
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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler There are photographs attached to some of these reports.
Was he ever shown photos? He described albums being brought and shown to the undercovers, so they could identity the people in them.

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@ucpinquiry @tombfowler After this, we stopped for lunch. The #spycopsinquiry is due to resume at 2pm.
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