Former Senior Judge Concludes Undercover Police Tactics by SDS were Not Justified

A report by Sir John Mitting, a former senior judge, has concluded that the use of undercover policing tactics by the Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) was not justified and the unit should have been disbanded earlier.

The SDS was tasked with infiltrating left-wing political and activist groups from the 1960s onwards, and tactics used included forming sexual relationships and using the names of dead children for cover.

The report states that the impact of SDS officers' actions on hundreds of people's lives was significant, with some officers taking on positions of responsibility and reporting extensive details on individuals, including their relationships and family lives.

The report also highlights that the tactics used by the SDS should have been addressed at the highest level within the Metropolitan Police and the Home Office, which annually authorized and funded the unit.

The report concludes that the fact that the SDS did not infiltrate right-wing groups was not due to political bias, and those running the unit decided these groups were already covered and they were concerned about the risk of violence.

The report has called for an investigation into who ordered the spying on law-abiding families fighting for justice.

The Undercover Policing Inquiry, established in 2015, has heard evidence of police spying on trade unionists, which caused years of unemployment.

The inquiry has been examining the conduct of undercover officers in the 1970s, and Metropolitan Police Cdr Jon Savell has apologized for the distress caused to those targeted.

The inquiry has undergone radical reform, and its final report is currently scheduled for 2026.

The inquiry will also consider the impact on women deceived into sexual relationships with undercover officers, the effect on officers' families, and why justice campaigns like that for Stephen Lawrence were targeted.

The inquiry has so far cost over £64m.