Following an open letter from Core Participants https://campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/2025/03/10/treat-us-fairly-demand-spycops-inquiry-participants/, the Chair of the Undercover Policing Inquiry John Mitting called a directional hearing. Chris Brian https://x.com/bristolnoborder from the Undercover Research Group sat down with Tom Fowler https://x.com/tombfowler to discuss what happened. With voices from coverage from the day including Zoe Young https://x.com/zoeyou, James Simpson http...
Mar 25, 2025•59 min
First appearance on the podcast by Liz Fuller https://x.com/Lizfuller1, a woman who was deceived by HN1 into a long term intimate relationship, she joins with Chris Brian https://x.com/bristolnoborder from the Undercover Research Group and Tom Fowler https://x.com/tombfowler to discuss both his recent appearance giving evidence at the undercover policing inquiry and her own. More information on the undercover officer HN1 who used the cover name "Matt Rayner": https://powerbase.info/index.php/Mat...
Mar 04, 2025•1 hr
The second part of our mini-series on the senior officers from the early days of the Special Demonstration Squad. We now go on to the "backroom fixer' Phil Saunders who was singled out for critism in the interim report from the inquiry. Chris Brian x.com/bristolnoborder from the Undercover Research Group continues the conversation with Tom Fowler x.com/tombfowler. Inquiry documents relating to Phil Saunders: https://www.ucpi.org.uk/individuals/hn-1251/
Oct 07, 2024•30 min
First in a mini-series on the Special Branch cops that shaped the Special Demonstration Squad. Starting with the 'Brash Chancer' Conrad Dixon who claimed to have founded the unit. Chris Brian https://x.com/bristolnoborder from the Undercover Research Group returns to "go retro" with Tom Fowler https://x.com/tombfowler and have a look at the early days of the spycops unit. Inquiry documents relating to Dixon: https://www.ucpi.org.uk/individuals/hn-325/
Oct 03, 2024•30 min
The Undercover Policing Inquiry was meant to return for Phase two of Tranche two on Monday 30th September, but it didn't. Kate Wilson https://x.com/fruitbatmania joins Tom Fowler https://x.com/tombfowler to discuss why that is, and look at all the goings on behind the scenes that show just how dysfunctional the whole process has been. Tranche 2 Phase 2 will now start on Monday 14th October, with live hearings starting on Monday 21st October at the International Dispute Resolution Centre, London....
Sep 30, 2024•39 min
Regular member of the podcasting team "Jessica" https://x.com/Jessica_me2 sits in the pub with Tom Fowler https://x.com/tombfowler and chats about her upcoming appearance at the Undercover Policing Inquiry where she will be called to give evidence about the undercover police officer Andy Coles, who used the cover name "Andy Davey" but is better known in activist circles these days as "Shitface". Jessica's Story: https://policespiesoutoflives.org.uk/our-stories/jessicas-story-2/
Sep 22, 2024•32 min
An interview with "Jenny" who recently gave evidence to the Undercover Policing Inquiry about her relationship with spycops officer HN78 Trevor Morris who she knew as "Bobby McGee". https://ucpi.org.uk/individuals/hn-78/ To respect her anonymity, the words of "Jenny" have been voiced by the wonderful actor Maxine Peake https://instagram.com/betteblavatsky who reenacts the original interview from the transcript. Regular host Tom Fowler https://x.com/tombfowler plays himself. You can hear "jenny" ...
Sep 17, 2024•45 min
"Carlton King" is a recent alias of former SDS officer HN78 Trevor Morris, who was deployed in the early 90s against anti-racists and family justice campaigns. Using the identity of a dead child "Anthony Lewis" also going by "Bobby Lewis or more often "Bobby McGee", Morris has admitted to sexually abusing two women in the groups he infiltrated. https://www.ucpi.org.uk/individuals/hn-78/ Despite publishing an autobiography https://google.co.uk/books/edition/Black_Ops/nH3lnAAACAAJ and appearing in...
Sep 06, 2024•44 min
HN95 Stefan Scutt / Stefan Wesolowski was one of the strangest spycops we've come across so far. Donal O'Driscoll https://x.com/PeterSalmon7 of the Undercover Research Group joins usual host Tom Fowler https://x.com/tombfowler to discuss the evidence that was recently introduced by the Undercover Policing Inquiry. https://www.ucpi.org.uk/individuals/hn-95/ You can read the report on that evidence from the Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance: https://campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/tag/s...
Aug 29, 2024•30 min
Roger Pearce is the first undercover SDS officer to give evidence during tranche 2 of the Undercover Policing Inquiry. Your usual host Tom Fowler https://x.com/tombfowler is joined by "Jessica" https://x.com/jessica_me2, Kate Wilson https:// x.com/fruitbatmania, and Ben to discuss the live evidence of him and the anarchists he spied on. You can read a full report of the first week of the inquiry from the Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance: http://campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/2024/07...
Jul 14, 2024•57 min
The Undercover Policing Inquiry has returned for "Tranche 2" looking at the Special Demonstration Squad between 1983-1982. "Phase 1" is about to start the live evidence hearing. Your usual host Tom Fowler https://x.com/tombfowler is joined by Eveline Lubbers https://x.com/evelinelubbers, Kate Wilson https://x.com/fruitbatmania, and Ben to discuss what we made of the the Opening Statements and what to expect at the live evidence hearings. You can read a summary of the opening statements here: htt...
Jul 06, 2024•52 min
The Undercover Policing Inquiryhas delivered it's interim report, covering "Tranche 1" looking at the Special Demonstration Squad between 1968-1982. Your usual hosts Chris Brian and Tom Fowler are joined by "Jessica" twitter.com/Jessica_me2 and Kate Wilson twitter.com/fruitbatmania(& Ben) to discuss what in and been missed in the report and what we all make of it. You can read a summary of the report here: https://policespiesoutoflives.org.uk/summary-of-ucpi-interim-report-june-2023/ And see...
Jul 30, 2023•1 hr 5 min
The Undercover Policing Inquiry is currently on Tranche 1, Phase 3, looking at Special Demonstration Squad managers 1968-1982. Like all phases of the inquiry, it begins with opening statements. This episode is the audio version of the daily reports from the opening statements. You can read them here: Day 1: http://campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/2022/05/09/ucpi-daily-report-9-may-2022/ Day 2: http://campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/2022/05/10/ucpi-daily-report-10-may-2022/ Day 3: ht...
May 14, 2022•1 hr 24 min
The next hearing of the inquiry will be taking place from Monday 9th May. In this show we preview what we might find out from the line up of mostly ex-managers from the Special Demonstration Squad 1968-82 giving evidence in these hearings. Also taking a look at the many lies of someone who won't be able to give evidence, founder of the SDS, and author of his own fictional obituary, Conrad Dixon. https://www.ucpi.org.uk/publications/the-times-published-obituary-of-conrad-dixon/ We mention the two...
May 05, 2022•27 min
Despite the numerous deployments of undercover police officers in Scotland, the Public Inquiry is only concerned with events in England and Wales. Tilly Gifford, raised a judicial review at the Court of Session to challenge the decision of the Home Office not to examine the role of covert policing north of the border. She also challenged the Scottish Government’s decision not to hold a public inquiry on the same issue. Find out more: https://www.pilc.org.uk/public-inquiries/undercover-policing-i...
Mar 02, 2022•26 min
Jason Kirkpatrick is a climate change activist based in Berlin who was targeted by undercover police officer Mark Kennedy. He is now taking legal action in Germany over the deployment of British undercover police officers at the G8 summit in Heiligendamm in 2007. As mentioned in the episode, you can read reports from Statewatch at https://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/february/cross-border-spying-on-euro-anarchists-euro-police-link-updates-about-what-became-public-about-mark-kennedy-and-other-und...
Jan 20, 2022•48 min
In this mini series we are looking beyond undercover police to examine the civilian covert human intelligence sources that are used by police to target protest groups and undermine dissent. This instalment is an interview by Chris Brien with activist Tilly Gifford, who along with being targeted by undercover police was approached by Strathclyde police in 2009 to become a grass against the group she was involved with Plane Stupid. She made recordings of what happened and spoke out about it in the...
Dec 28, 2021•21 min
In this mini series we are looking beyond undercover police to examine the civilian covert human intelligence sources that are used by police to target protest groups and undermine dissent. Here in part three Tom Fowler concludes his chat with Donal O'Driscoll from the Undercover Research Group by looking at the professional civilian agents: "infiltrators". Part 4 will be an interview with someone targeted by the police to become a grass and will be available in a day or so. Profile of Adrian Ra...
Dec 26, 2021•21 min
In this mini series we are looking beyond undercover police to examine the civilian covert human intelligence sources that are used by police to target protest groups and undermine dissent. In part two Tom Fowler is once again joined by Donal O'Driscoll from the Undercover Research Group , this time to look at people who willingly give information on activism to the police: "informers". Part 3 "infiltrators" will be out in a day or so. Bent Coppers: The Inside Story of Scotland Yard's Battle Aga...
Dec 24, 2021•19 min
In this mini series we are looking beyond undercover police to examine the civilian covert human intelligence sources that are used by police to target protest groups and undermine dissent. In part one Tom Fowler is joined by Donal O'Driscoll from the Undercover Research Group to look at activists that are turned by the police to give them information "Grasses". Part 2 will be out in a day or so. No Comment: the defendants guide to arrest https://libcom.org/organise/no-comment-the-defendants-gui...
Dec 23, 2021•25 min
From the establishment of the Special Demonstration Squad in 1968, annual reports were published to justify their continued existence. The first 15 year batch of these were some of the first documents to be released by the Undercover Policing Inquiry, you can read them for yourself https://www.ucpi.org.uk/search-results/?fwp_type=annual-report Chris Brian From the Undercover Research Group has read them all, in this episode he tells Tom Fowler the highlights and lowlights covered in the document...
Nov 24, 2021•58 min
This third part on the legal action taken relating to undercover police officer Mark Kennedy at the Investigative Powers Tribunal. This episode looks at the actual trial of Kate Wilson's Human Right's claim at the High Court. Part 1 (Episode 6): https://soundcloud.com/spycops/episode-6-kate-wilson-the-ipt-part-1 Part 2: (episode 16): https://soundcloud.com/spycops/kate-wilson-the-ipt-part-2 Look out for the 4th and final part of this mini-series once the judgement of the Tribunal is handed down....
Sep 26, 2021•34 min
Kate and Ben return to talk more about the case Kate brought to the Investigative Powers Tribunal, you can hear part one here: https://soundcloud.com/spycops/episode-6-kate-wilson-the-ipt-part-1 You can learn about her case at the Investigative Powers Tribunal: https://campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/kate-wilson-case-exposing-institutional-sexism-spycops/ Follow Kate on twitter: https://twitter.com/fruitbatmania Please support the pod by ordering some stickers: https://ko-fi.com/s/df86432...
Sep 22, 2021•34 min
During the inquiry hearings a number of core participants have used social media to report on developments, in this episode Carolyn who tweeted live reports from https://twitter.com/copscampagin joins regular host Tom Fowler to discuss the challenges of following the inquiry as activists and have a general chat about the state of the whole process. The pamphlet "Was My Friend A Spycop?" you can read online: https://undercoverresearch.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/wasmyfriend.vl3_.pdf If you'd l...
Sep 15, 2021•30 min
Core Participants in the Undercover Policing Inquiry Kate Wilson and Ben have a wide ranging chat with their neighbour Brian on the topic. This episode serves as useful introduction to those not familiar with the details of the whole issue. For Kate Wilson's story check out: https://policespiesoutoflives.org.uk/our-stories/kates-story/ Kate and Ben first appeared in episode 6 talking about the legal case Kate brought to the Investigative Powers Tribunal: https://soundcloud.com/spycops/episode-6-...
Sep 03, 2021•44 min
This episode we are joined by Bethany Rielly, reporter for the Morning Star newspaper, and the only journalist to regularly attend all the hearings of the Undercover Policing Inquiry. https://morningstaronline.co.uk/tags/spycops We discuss how she came to cover the story, why most of the media coverage of the topic has been so limited, and a lot else besides. You can follow her at: https://twitter.com/b_rielly Starting on Thursday we are going to going live with the #SpyCopsPod on Twitter Spaces...
Aug 23, 2021•35 min
"Discussion Paper: SDS targeting strategy and deployment in relation to the Animal Liberation Front" to give it it's full very misleading title is a document authored by former undercover officer Bob Lambert in 1994. https://www.ucpi.org.uk/publications/discussion-paper-on-sds-targeting-strategy-and-deployment-in-relation-to-the-animal-liberation-front-authored-by-bob-lambert/ "Jessica" returns to the show with Chris Brian and Tom Fowler to discuss the document, marvel at the bare faced hypocris...
Jul 15, 2021•54 min
The Spycops Info Podcast is a weekly series that features the voices of activists, researchers and campaigners who have been targeted by Britain's secret undercover political police. Turning the tables on the units that infiltrated over 1,000 groups from 1968. Visit our website: https://www.spycops.info/spycopspod
Jul 09, 2021•2 min
As well as being a member of the Undercover Research Group, Donal O'Driscoll is also one of very few core participants representing themselves at the Undercover Policing Inquiry (UCPI). We discuss what litigating in person is like in practise, chat about the direction of the inquiry, and consider why a bunch of anarchists are engaging with the British legal system like this. You can read everything you need to know about what has happened so far at the UCPI: http://campaignopposingpolicesurveill...
Jul 04, 2021•45 min
The Registry Files are the huge database of secret files Special Branch keep on anything it considers seditions. They are the documents that the undercover officers from the Special Demonstration Squad and the National Public Order Intelligence Unit contributed to. We're joined by Donal O'Driscoll From the Undercover Research Group to chat about how we've long believed these files existed, but that through recent revelations from the Undercover Policing Inquiry, we have been able to learn some s...
Jun 27, 2021•34 min
