A public inquiry into undercover policing, commonly known as the spycops inquiry, is currently under threat. The Home Office launched a consultation on 16 July into the inquiry's future, citing its duration of over 11 years and a cost of £137m.
The inquiry was established in 2015 following revelations in 2013 by former Metropolitan Police officer Peter Francis, who disclosed his role in surveilling the family of Stephen Lawrence. Francis had served in the Special Demonstration Squad (SDS), a Met unit founded in 1968, whose officers operated under false names within political and campaigning organisations.
The inquiry has continued to uncover instances of misconduct by England's police forces. It revealed that an undercover officer, James Thomson, deceived two women into intimate relationships and was suspected of fabricating a plot to link an anti-foxhunting activist to a gun. Managers reportedly admitted that nothing was done about Thomson's actions to protect the SDS.
Further revelations include instances where managers appeared to have knowledge of undercover officers having sexual relationships that continued after deployments ended. The inquiry also found that the Met spent £2.5m to conceal officer John Dines from a former lover, relocating him from New Zealand to Australia.
The consultation on the inquiry's future is scheduled to conclude on 20 September.