The security service MI5 worked closely with undercover police officers to infiltrate the campaign against the Vietnam war, documents released to a public inquiry have disclosed. Senior Scotland Yard officers told MI5 that they had deployed what they called “bearded and unwashed” male officers and “scruffy” female officers to spy on the campaign in the late 1960s. Barr detailed how the Met initially set up a unit of undercover officers following disorder at an anti-Vietnam war demonstration in March 1968. A member of the undercover unit was sent to work at MI5’s offices to ease the supply of information. At least 20 undercover officers had sexual relationships using their fake identities between the mid-1970s and 2010.

Source: The Guardian November 02, 2020 18:08 UTC