Thousands of Surveillance Reports from Undercover Police Passed to MI5, Inquiry Documents Reveal
Thousands of surveillance reports by undercover police infiltrating political groups were routinely passed to MI5, who retain these files, according to documents revealed in the spycops inquiry. These reports enabled MI5 to compile extensive, long-running dossiers on peaceful protesters, particularly within left-wing movements.
The surveillance records included detailed personal data such as marriages, sexuality, holidays, bank accounts, and information about children and family life. They also contained the political beliefs of children as young as 13, photographs, and noted births and life events of activists and their families.
MI5 frequently requested specific details from undercover officers, including home addresses and photographs. These reports often bore Box 500 stamps, indicating MI5's involvement. Scotland Yard's Special Demonstration Squad operated closely with MI5, meeting regularly, although MI5 warned that spies could be exposed.
The inquiry covers monitoring activities from the late 1960s to at least 2010. Published MI5 records and reports have illuminated the scale of collaboration between these agencies. Former MI5 director Stella Rimington has criticized the Cold War era targeting as over-enthusiastic.
MI5 states it ceased active subversion investigations in 1996 and transitioned to watchful monitoring. In 2020, the agency began investigating other forms of extremism; however, the exact scope of these activities remains unknown.
