Procedural hearing summarizing written evidence from three undercover officers who served in the Special Demonstration Squad in 1968-69. The summaries reveal systematic lack of training, guidance, and oversight in the unit's earliest days, with officers infiltrating peaceful anti-war and socialist groups.
00:21:57 e e
00:22:39 good morning everyone and welcome to the third day of evidential hearings in tranch one phase one at the undercover policing inquiry my name is Jacqueline
00:22:52 policing inquiry my name is Jacqueline perser and I'm the hearings manager as a reminder to those of you in the virtual hearing room please turn off both your camera and microphone unless you are invited to speak by the chairman I will now hand over to chairman said John mitting to formally start proceedings chairman thank you this morning's
00:23:09 chairman thank you this morning's proceedings are going to begin by the summarizing uh by Miss Mahan of the evidence of three undercover officers Who provided witness statements and by her indicating in the case of two
00:23:24 her indicating in the case of two deceased officers uh where the relevant material can be found we will then adjourn for a short period and resume
00:23:37 adjourn for a short period and resume with live evidence the first part of the proceedings will be live streamed the second live evidence period w m
00:23:51 m thank you good morning sir hn
00:23:57 sir hn 330 33's reporting shows that he served briefly in the SDA s between at least the 26th of September 1968 and the 29th of October 1968 and this is confirmed by
00:24:11 of October 1968 and this is confirmed by his witness statement he infiltrated the haing branch of the Vietnam solidarity campaign using the cover name Don de freas publication of his real name is restricted 330 served in special Branch
00:24:24 restricted 330 served in special Branch both before and after his posting to the SDS he recalls using false names and occupations casually and habitually was working in special branch and contrast this with his use of a fixed false identity in the
00:24:42 identity in the SDS before his posting he reported on T Ali and a demonstration on the 25th of May 1968 regarding a local issue in Power Square London which involved the Notting Hill VC and led to arrests he knew Conrad Dixon socially
00:24:58 arrests he knew Conrad Dixon socially and was asked to join the SDS when they met by chance in the corridors of Scotland
00:25:03 Scotland Yard at that time 330 held the rank of detective
00:25:04 detective Sergeant he describes the unit as informal save for his special Branch special Branch experience he had no additional training and was not told what the job
00:25:15 what the job entailed married at the time of joining he recalls that no manager spoke to his spouse about his new role and the possible impact on his personal life he received no guidance on creating
00:25:28 life he received no guidance on creating a false identity and so came up with his own cover name and cover employment as a driver he dressed casually for the role
00:25:41 driver he dressed casually for the role but did nothing to change his appearance he had no cover accommodation and operated out of Scotland Yard the documents show that 330 initially attended a public meeting of haing international socialists held on the 26th of September 1968 which had
00:25:57 the 26th of September 1968 which had been advertised by leaflets distributed in rord
00:25:59 in rord Market at that meeting a haing VSC committee was appointed and agreed to meet in
00:26:13 meet in private 330 recalls that by ingratiating himself with speakers and attendees at the public meeting he was invited to join these private committee meetings at comrad Dixon's suggestion he and hn 334 Margaret White attended as a couple to make them less
00:26:24 couple to make them less suspicious his remit was to find out as much as possible about the group's plans for the demonstration of the 27th of October 1968 and identify as
00:26:37 October 1968 and identify as members accordingly he reported on the group until just after the 27th of October demonstration soon after which his deployment ended his reports evidenced the group's
00:26:48 ended his reports evidenced the group's preparations for the demonstration such as the composition and distribution of leaflets and fly posting something 330 admits to doing during his deployment his reporting and evidence on the group suggests that haing VSC was
00:27:01 the group suggests that haing VSC was peaceful in its aims and not subversive and he describes most of its members as
00:27:12 and he describes most of its members as open quotes unwilling to support acts of Civil Disobedience or terrorism close quotes he states that on the 27th of October 1968 he and the group marched from Trafalga Square chanting Ho Ho Ho Chi Min and disbanded at H
00:27:30 Chi Min and disbanded at H Park in his final report dated the 29th of October 1968 he relays the general opinion of haing VSC that the demonstration was a open quotes complete and utter disaster close
00:27:41 and utter disaster close quotes two reports contain information on a labor party official who was a
00:27:49 on a labor party official who was a member of the group which he States was because MI5 was interested and whether extremists were penetrating what he describes as open quote legitimate leftwing political organizations close quotes in addition to his report on Hing VSC there is a note on a telegram
00:28:06 VSC there is a note on a telegram concerning intelligence that a person was seeking to obtain ingredients to make smoke bombs for use of the demonstration which tasks 330 to inquire into this and then report the inquiry also holds a 330 report which concerns the plans of
00:28:18 report which concerns the plans of anarchists from University College Swansea to attend the 27th of October demonstration but it is unclear whether he came by this information in his undercover role or by other
00:28:33 or by other means three documents post date 330 service in the SDS and show his involvement in monitoring public events organized by the anti-apartheid movement between July 1969 and June
00:28:46 between July 1969 and June 1970 all three reports were copied to the security services there is no evidence to suggest that 330 engaged in sexual activity while in his cover
00:28:57 while in his cover identity that concludes the summary for 330
00:28:59 330 we will now move on to hn
00:29:08 321 321s real name is restricted he has believed to have used the cover name William Bill Paul Lewis he lives abroad and has provided a witness statement to the inquiry 321s reporting held by the
00:29:22 inquiry 321s reporting held by the inquiry dates from the 18th of September 1968 to the 30th of September 1969 in his evidence he states that he resigned from the Metropolitan Police soon after leaving the SDS because he
00:29:36 soon after leaving the SDS because he had open quotes tired of the work close quotes the majority of his reports relate to the international Marxist group prior to his recruitment 321
00:29:51 group prior to his recruitment 321 worked in special Branch b Squad in this role he had no false identity but would attend public meetings and demonstrations in casual clothes noting attendees and their activities he describes how a detective inspector
00:30:04 he describes how a detective inspector colleague impressed by the detail in one in one of hn3 21's reports on a radical group encouraged him to attend a meeting regarding the formation of a new Squad 321 recalls attending an initial
00:30:15 Squad 321 recalls attending an initial meeting in September 1968 to set up the SDS called By Conrad Dixon and attended by around 30 others where they were told that their
00:30:28 others where they were told that their work in the squad would be kept secret single and in his 20s with no responsibilities 321 accepted the invitation to volunteer for the SDS he held the rank of detective
00:30:39 held the rank of detective Constable 321 received no formal training before his deployment and no guidance as to how best to conduct his
00:30:51 guidance as to how best to conduct his duties beyond the set set objective of gathering intelligence around the October 27 demonstration he received no guidance on creating a false identity and made up his own cover name and cover employment as an instrumentation and control
00:31:04 as an instrumentation and control technician something he could talk about if
00:31:07 if necessary he was also tasked with finding his own cover accommodation he recalls two cover Flats one in ear's court and one in axam where he lived alone during his
00:31:18 he lived alone during his deployment he states that he attended the SDS Safe House several times a week a practice advised by comrad Dixon in order to keep SDS office officers engaged during their
00:31:30 engaged during their downtime he states that while SDS officers operated alone they learned through sharing their experiences he gives us an example of
00:31:41 experiences he gives us an example of this an SDS officer colleague working undercover who saw a real life acquaintance in a pub and explained to his colleagues the way in which he avoided blowing his cover 321 did no Preparatory work for his undercover
00:31:53 his undercover role 321 recalls that he was not assigned to a particular group but attended a demonstration and later a meeting which he subsequently discovered was a meeting of the
00:32:11 was a meeting of the IMG comrad Dixon then instructed him to attend further meetings on the basis that the img's activities were of interest to the
00:32:19 SDS his reports on the IMG spam the entire period of his deployment and the majority post date the 27th of October demonstration his first report is on a public meeting attended by core participants Ernie Tate and the
00:32:31 participants Ernie Tate and the Socialist candidate for the American presidency Fred Halstead but his reporting thereafter covers private
00:32:44 covers private events in addition to his reports on the IMG there are early reports on Lamberth V VC and its increasing Domination by the IMG and other parts of the vssc in a telegram dated the 26th of October
00:32:55 October 1968 321 relay suggestions made at a meeting of the Southwest VC ad hot
00:33:06 meeting of the Southwest VC ad hot Committee in Brixton that police coaches in the car park on voxell bridge should be sabotaged prior to the VSC demonstration the following day in his witness statement however he notes that he did not think the IMG would have carried out this threat as while open quotes they talked a lot
00:33:20 while open quotes they talked a lot about Revolution close quotes they were open quotes actually quite passive and intellectual he states that he did not express this view to his SDS managers reporting only the facts of what took place at the meetings he
00:33:32 place at the meetings he attended 321 recalls an occasion when he was able to record the details of around 80 members of the IMG information which was subsequently passed to the security
00:33:47 passed to the security services he also reported on discussions and planned demonstrations in relation to Northern Ireland a postmortem of the October 27 demonstration the Middle East the 9th International Congress of the fourth International
00:33:58 fourth International Scottish nationalism and women's rights his final reports concern the IMG 1969 education camp in dun bartonshire Scotland which he attended using his
00:34:09 Scotland which he attended using his cover vehicle giving a LIF to three IMG
00:34:27 cover vehicle giving a LIF to three IMG members 321 states that he engaged in no criminal activity while undercut under other than obstruction of the highway and perhaps fly posting he was never arrested generally he recalls being advised not to resist arrest if it happened and that it could be open quotes sorted out close quotes further down the line with charge is probably being
00:34:37 being dropped there is no evidence to suggest that 321 engag in sexual activity while in his cover identity that concludes the summary for
00:34:51 321 hn 322 322 served in the SDS for a short period of time in the early months of its existence he was never deployed undercover and so had no cover
00:35:04 had no cover name publication of his real name has been
00:35:07 been restricted he has provided a witness statement to the inquiry his SDS tenure was bracketed by generic special Branch work in his
00:35:20 generic special Branch work in his evidence he states that there was little difference between the two roles in his experience both involved attending meetings in plain clothes and Gathering intelligence he held the rank of detective comble while in the SDS 322
00:35:32 detective comble while in the SDS 322 went on to have a long career in the MPS attaining a senior rank he was first made aware of the SS's existence when comrad Dixon approached him and personally invited him to join married with the young family at
00:35:47 join married with the young family at the time 322 States in evidence that no manager spoke to his wife about the possible impact of undercover work on his family life and he was told nothing about what the work entailed once he had signed up and
00:35:58 entailed once he had signed up and understood the job involved periods of time away from his family he asked to be taken off the squad he received no training or guidance for his SDS role he had no
00:36:11 guidance for his SDS role he had no cover employment and no cover flat he did not alter his appearance 322 was not deployed to any particular group although had he remained a member of the SDS for a
00:36:22 remained a member of the SDS for a longer time period he may have been directed to the southeast London VSC he recalls being told to attend observe and report back on a few
00:36:33 observe and report back on a few different meetings and this is reflected in the small number of his reports held by the inquiry which show attendance at three
00:36:38 three meetings two of the 's Court VSC and one of the southeast London ad hot Committee of the
00:36:52 of the VSC there is some additional reporting which postdates the demonstration and covers private meetings and planned activities of the British Vietnam solidarity front and the Revolutionary socialist students Federation these are
00:37:07 socialist students Federation these are reports written on behalf of hn 335 Mike trell in his statement he contrasts the formality of special Branch work with the lack of Direction Supervision in the SDS he recalls that he was advised to go to meetings but given no direction or
00:37:19 to meetings but given no direction or guidance about what he should do when in attendance he remembers no contact or discussion with managers and had a lot of free time he was based at New
00:37:34 of free time he was based at New Scotland Yard where he would type up his reports there is no evidence to suggest that hn 322 engaged in sexual activity while in his cover identity that concludes the summaries of the three
00:37:41 the three officers in addition to the witness statements and the documents for those officers which are being published today
00:37:53 officers which are being published today the inquiry is also publishing documents in relation to two deceased officers
00:37:55 officers h135 whose real name is Michael f and who reported on the British Vietnam solidarity front the Irish Civil Rights solidarity campaign and stop the 70
00:38:10 solidarity campaign and stop the 70 tour and the this analysis can be found at Pages 123 to 126 of appendix 2 to council to the inquiry's opening written opening
00:38:27 statement and also hn 325 comrad Dixon who was head of the SD s and reported on the vssc and that analysis can be found at Pages 174 to 189 of appendix 2 to council to the inquiry's written opening
00:38:49 statement thank you m molan um we will now adjourn until half past 10 when we will resume with the evidence of hn
00:39:01 328 thank you everyone we will now take a break until 10:30 you may now go into your breakout rooms