Deceiving women into sexual relations ‘part of work’ for spycops, inquiry told

Whistleblower says senior managers did not forbid intimate relationships and advised him to use condoms

Senior managers running a covert unit permitted undercover police officers to deceive women into sexual relations, the spycops public inquiry has heard.

Peter Francis, a former undercover officer who has become a whistleblower, said the sexual relations were a routine feature of the covert operations for years. He said they were an ordinary part of the undercover role ... it was regarded by officers and management alike as part of the work".