London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Fourth officer allegedly fathered child after meeting woman undercover

Fourth officer allegedly fathered child after meeting woman undercover

Officer used alias Alan Bond while infiltrating the Socialist Workers party between 1981 and 1986, inquiry hears
A fourth undercover officer who spied on political campaigners is alleged to have fathered a child with a woman he met while using a fake identity, a public inquiry has heard.

The officer used the alias Alan Bond while infiltrating the Socialist Workers party between 1981 and 1986.

The allegation is being examined by a judge-led public inquiry that is scrutinising the activities of undercover officers who have spied on more than 1,000 political groups since 1968.

Previously it has been revealed that three undercover officers who spied on leftwing activists between the 1970s and 1990s have had children with campaigners they met during their deployments.

Separately, the inquiry heard on Wednesday that Jim Pickford, who infiltrated anarchist groups in the 1970s, met a woman during his deployment and had a child with her.

On Thursday, Phillippa Kaufmann, a QC representing women who have been deceived into sexual relationships, said Bond admitted to having had “a fleeting sexual encounter in his cover name with a woman who was not a member of his target group”.

She said that, from questions circulated by the inquiry, “it appears that [Bond] may have fathered a child with someone he met during his deployment”. No further details were given.

She said: “We have belatedly learned from the inquiry that Bond will not now be giving evidence due to a deterioration in his health.”

She said that for three years in the 1990s Bond was promoted to a senior position in the Special Demonstration Squad (SDS), a covert unit that monitored political groups for four decades. He was in charge of several undercover officers who had sexual relationships with women without revealing their true identity to them.

Kaufmann said it was clear that the practice of undercover officers deceiving women into relationships was “endemic”. It demonstrated “the systemic and long-running sexism through the [SDS] which allowed officers and their superiors to think it was acceptable to engage in such abusive practices.”

A key issue in front of the inquiry, which is headed by Sir John Mitting, is how at least 20 undercover officers had sexual relationships with women between the mid-1970s and 2010.

On Wednesday the inquiry heard evidence for the first time from one of the deceived women. The woman, known only as Madeleine, said the officer, Vince Miller, probably saw her as “easy pickings” at the time of their relationship as she was “very vulnerable having recently separated from my first husband who had become extremely abusive”. She said their relationship lasted a couple of months in 1979 before he disappeared.

She said that his account that he only had a “one-night stand” with her while he infiltrated the SWP between 1976 and 1979 was false, and he had also deliberately misrepresented how the relationship started.

She said she only discovered that he had been an undercover officer when she had an unexpected visit at home from a member of the inquiry last year.

“The initial revelation of the true identity of a man with whom I had enjoyed an intimate sexual relationship and shared thoughts and feelings of a deeply private nature left me feeling nauseous and revolted. I felt degraded and abused and continue to feel a real sense of violation,” she said.

“In my mind a very different image of Vince is emerging from the one that I remember – an increasingly cold, calculating, sexist version of a man is being revealed, very different from the man I knew or thought I knew. I find that extremely upsetting.

“I had always thought of Vince with fondness. My memory of him was of a lovely, attractive but emotionally vulnerable guy who, because of his experience of heartbreak and fear of being hurt, found it difficult to maintain close relationships with women.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×