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| Secret Met police unit held information on 18 campaigns for justice | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Information on 18 justice campaigns for murder victims and those who died following police contact was held by a secret Scotland Yard unit, a report has found. | |
| The Derbyshire chief constable, Mick Creedon, said the campaigns dated between 1970 and 2005 and officers were in the process of telling the families concerned. | The Derbyshire chief constable, Mick Creedon, said the campaigns dated between 1970 and 2005 and officers were in the process of telling the families concerned. |
| In his latest report on the conduct of undercover officers from Scotland Yard's Special Demonstration Squad (SDS), Operation Herne, he said: "Operation Herne has identified emerging evidence that in addition to the Stephen Lawrence campaign, a number of other justice campaigns have been mentioned within SDS records. Seventeen such justice campaigns have been identified so far. | In his latest report on the conduct of undercover officers from Scotland Yard's Special Demonstration Squad (SDS), Operation Herne, he said: "Operation Herne has identified emerging evidence that in addition to the Stephen Lawrence campaign, a number of other justice campaigns have been mentioned within SDS records. Seventeen such justice campaigns have been identified so far. |
| "These range between 1970 and 2005, and are as a result of deaths in police custody, following police contact and the victims of murders. | "These range between 1970 and 2005, and are as a result of deaths in police custody, following police contact and the victims of murders. |
| "It is the intention of Chief Constable Creedon and Operation Herne to inform all of the families involved and share, where possible, the knowledge and information held." | "It is the intention of Chief Constable Creedon and Operation Herne to inform all of the families involved and share, where possible, the knowledge and information held." |
| Relatives of the Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes are already considering legal action against Scotland Yard after they were told that references to their justice campaign were found in the secret records. | Relatives of the Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes are already considering legal action against Scotland Yard after they were told that references to their justice campaign were found in the secret records. |
| References linked to the shooting of Cherry Groce, which sparked the 1985 Brixton riots, and Ricky Reel, who died in mysterious circumstances in 1997, were also found. | |
| The report said there were several families who had not yet been contacted, and that more might emerge as time went on. | The report said there were several families who had not yet been contacted, and that more might emerge as time went on. |
| One reference was to an unnamed individual planning to go to a funeral, even though "there was no intelligence to indicate that the funeral would have been anything other than a dignified event". | One reference was to an unnamed individual planning to go to a funeral, even though "there was no intelligence to indicate that the funeral would have been anything other than a dignified event". |
| Creedon said: "Unless the information could have prevented crime or disorder it should not have been retained." | Creedon said: "Unless the information could have prevented crime or disorder it should not have been retained." |
| He admitted it would be distressing for bereaved families to learn that the details were held, adding: "This must seem inexplicable." | He admitted it would be distressing for bereaved families to learn that the details were held, adding: "This must seem inexplicable." |
| While the report found no evidence that covert operations targeted grieving families or justice campaigns, the fact that information that had no relevance to preventing crime was kept was heavily criticised. | While the report found no evidence that covert operations targeted grieving families or justice campaigns, the fact that information that had no relevance to preventing crime was kept was heavily criticised. |
| The report said: "It is quite clear that maintaining the secrecy of the unit and protecting the identity of the officers was of paramount importance to all involved – and in being so focused on this aspect the management of the SDS, of the Metropolitan police special branch and ultimately the Metropolitan police executive leadership of the day collectively failed." | The report said: "It is quite clear that maintaining the secrecy of the unit and protecting the identity of the officers was of paramount importance to all involved – and in being so focused on this aspect the management of the SDS, of the Metropolitan police special branch and ultimately the Metropolitan police executive leadership of the day collectively failed." |
| The assistant commissioner Martin Hewitt, from Scotland Yard, stopped short of apologising to the families, but said: "I regret enormously the distress that has been caused." | The assistant commissioner Martin Hewitt, from Scotland Yard, stopped short of apologising to the families, but said: "I regret enormously the distress that has been caused." |
| The investigation is expected to go on for another year, and will later report on the culture of the unit and "some behaviour that was not appropriate". | The investigation is expected to go on for another year, and will later report on the culture of the unit and "some behaviour that was not appropriate". |
| The report said: "Over the 40 years that the unit existed, senior Metropolitan police management of the day either knew nothing about the existence and activities of the unit or, when they did, they appeared to have allowed the SDS to exist in secret isolation in a manner that was complacent and possibly negligent." | The report said: "Over the 40 years that the unit existed, senior Metropolitan police management of the day either knew nothing about the existence and activities of the unit or, when they did, they appeared to have allowed the SDS to exist in secret isolation in a manner that was complacent and possibly negligent." |
| Undercover officers did not use notebooks, and passed on information wholesale to bosses that was then kept in its entirety. | Undercover officers did not use notebooks, and passed on information wholesale to bosses that was then kept in its entirety. |
| "The practice of the mass collection and retention of knowledge identified by Operation Herne undoubtedly begs the question: why report, record and retain this information if it provided no operational benefit in targeting crime or preventing disorder and if it was not disseminated outside special branch for any operational or investigative purpose?" the report said. | "The practice of the mass collection and retention of knowledge identified by Operation Herne undoubtedly begs the question: why report, record and retain this information if it provided no operational benefit in targeting crime or preventing disorder and if it was not disseminated outside special branch for any operational or investigative purpose?" the report said. |
| The investigators have spoken to a number of former SDS officers, who said they received no training in terms of "collateral intrusion", which covers private information. | The investigators have spoken to a number of former SDS officers, who said they received no training in terms of "collateral intrusion", which covers private information. |
| The report went on: "Ultimately the Metropolitan police service failed in not working to the nationally accepted Home Office guidelines on the workings of special branch. | The report went on: "Ultimately the Metropolitan police service failed in not working to the nationally accepted Home Office guidelines on the workings of special branch. |
| "Had they done so, this activity may well not have taken place, the intelligence would not have been recorded and, if it had been, it would have been rapidly weeded as it did not relate either directly or indirectly to the discharge of special branch functions." | "Had they done so, this activity may well not have taken place, the intelligence would not have been recorded and, if it had been, it would have been rapidly weeded as it did not relate either directly or indirectly to the discharge of special branch functions." |
| Creedon said the scale of the retention of the documents kept by the unit was staggering, and it was an "irony" that if it had stuck to the rules no evidence of wrongdoing would have remained. | Creedon said the scale of the retention of the documents kept by the unit was staggering, and it was an "irony" that if it had stuck to the rules no evidence of wrongdoing would have remained. |
| The chairman of the home affairs select committee, Keith Vaz, said he would write to former Scotland Yard commissioners to ask what they knew about the unit. | The chairman of the home affairs select committee, Keith Vaz, said he would write to former Scotland Yard commissioners to ask what they knew about the unit. |
| "I am shocked by the potential extent of this spying," he said. "The police should never snoop on vulnerable people to gain information, least of all on grieving families. Their role in these circumstances is to help, not to hinder. | |
| "It is vital that every instance of unacceptable practice is investigated and those responsible are held to account. | "It is vital that every instance of unacceptable practice is investigated and those responsible are held to account. |
| "As we have discovered in our hearings, despite Operation Herne costing £3.5m, involving at least 26 officers and taking almost two years, no one has been prosecuted and no senior officer from the Met has appeared to have taken responsibility. | "As we have discovered in our hearings, despite Operation Herne costing £3.5m, involving at least 26 officers and taking almost two years, no one has been prosecuted and no senior officer from the Met has appeared to have taken responsibility. |
| "We have asked Mr Creedon to come before the committee when the house returns in September to update parliament on these issues. I will also be writing to all of the previous commissioners to understand what they knew about these activities." | "We have asked Mr Creedon to come before the committee when the house returns in September to update parliament on these issues. I will also be writing to all of the previous commissioners to understand what they knew about these activities." |
| • This article was amended on 24 July 2014. The original headline and article stated that the Met unit had information on 17 campaigns. In fact it was 18, including the campaign for justice for Stephen Lawrence. |