Dead children used to provide identification for UK undercover police
Dave Hyland
John Dines, an undercover police sergeant, as he appeared
in the early 1990s when he posed as John Barker, a pro-
tester against capitalism
Undercover police officers working for Britain’s largest force used the identities of dead children and issued fake passports in their names.
Scotland Yard said it is investigating “past arrangements for undercover identities used by SDS (Special Demonstration Squad) officers”.
The Guardian reports that the Metropolitan Police authorised the practice for covert officers infiltrating protest groups without consulting or informing the children’s parents. Over three decades, officers went through national birth and death records in search of suitable matches, the newspaper said. The creation of aliases resulted in officers being issued with official documents such as driving licences and national insurance numbers.
On Sunday night, Scotland Yard said the practice was not “currently” authorised. It also announced an investigation into “past arrangements for undercover identities used by SDS (Special Demonstration Squad) officers”.