Police ‘knew of undercover relationship’

 Police were aware that an undercover officer was in a relationship with an environmental activist and allowed it to continue, official documents show.

In the papers lodged with the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, police admit that Mark Kennedy had a relationship with Kate Wilson “with the acquiescence of his cover officers and line manager”.

In public statements up until recently, police have said they would never sanction such relationships. Ms Wilson, who is involved in legal action against the Metropolitan Police and the National Police Chiefs Council, was one of a number of women Mr Kennedy had romantic relationships with during his seven years undercover. He used the alias Mark Stone, and unbeknown to her he was married with children.

Ms Wilson told the BBC: “The police said these cases were a failure of supervision and management and that is just not the case. Management were complicit in what was going on.”