Since  1968 police targeted a wide range of social justice and human rights campaigns. Rights were violated and lives destroyed. In 2003 these secret political police infiltrated a group of idealistic young environmental activists in Nottingham, forming sexual relationships and spying without warrant on hundreds of innocent civilians.

This scandal, dubbed ‘#Spycops’‘, is now the subject of one of the UK’s longest, deepest, most extensive and expensive ‘public’ inquiries.

We will  continue to follow the  ‘Undercover Policing Inquiry’ throughout its proceedings, at the Sumac Centre in Nottingham.

Join us daily from 10am

Hearings will take place from Friday 17 October to Thursday 18 December. There will be a break after Thursday 23rd October, returning for the week commencing 3rd November. See full schedule here.

For times of our coverage, check our commentary on Social.coop/(Mastodon). Also Veggies on Bluesky, here and ‘bridged’ here.

Like us you can also follow these platforms:

• Official live stream by the Undercover Policing Inquiry.
• Real time coverage by Tom Fowler  and others on #Spycops threads on XTwitter.
• Daily live analysis, in each break, gathered on COPS Campaign YouTube channel, by Tom on Facebook, on (possibly) TikToc, and elsewhere.
• Spycops.Info for the Spycops Info Podcast and updates from the key groups:
  • Police Spies Out of Lives (PSOOL)
  • The Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance (COPS)
  • Undercover Research Group and their Spycops Research database.
• Many more links, events and news in the 10th October Spycops.Info Newsletter.

Evidence hearings

In this phase, 26 witnesses are currently due to give oral evidence. The Inquiry will hear evidence from 3 Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) officers deployed during the period between approximately 1993 to 2007 and 2 former SDS managers. The Inquiry will also hear from 21 non-state witnesses who represent groups that were infiltrated and women who were deceived.

The Inquiry will also adduce the written evidence of a further three undercover officers.

During the course of these hearings, the Inquiry will hear evidence on topics related to undercover policing including:

• The conduct of undercover officers, including the deception of women into relationships
• The use of deceased children’s identities by undercover officers
• Decisions related to targeting and deployments into groups, including but not limited to Family Justice Campaigns, including the Stephen Lawrence Campaign
• The training and supervision provided by managers, and the extent to which they were aware of the conduct of the officers.

In claiming that the Home Office put new codes and safeguards in place in 2000 to shift responsibility for the abuses that happened before, are they admitting that they _were_ resposible for the breaches of those ‘standards’ by those that followed, eg Kennedy et al https://t.co/isdzwZVJni

— Veggies 🌱 Vegan Campaign Catering 💙 🌱 (@veggiesnottm) October 13, 2025

See Also. . .

See also DISCLOSURE: Unravelling the Spycops.

Kate Wilson’s memoir is a shocking exposé about the workings of Britain’s secret police. Much of the activity documented by Kate took place at Nottingham’s Sumac Centre. We were delighted that Kate joined us here on Sunday 1st June 2025, to tell her story and launch her book (which is available from Veggies online shop).

The new 3-part ITV documentary series ‘The Undercover Police Scandal: Love and Lies Exposed’ premiered on Thursday 6 March at 9pm, with screenings at Sumac Screen Room.