Ex-wives of undercover officers who had sex for job seek apology

THE former wives of three undercover officers who conducted sexual relationships with women they were targeting have told a public inquiry their lives have been “tainted for ever” by the “police-sanctioned deceit”.

The women described how they had initially been proud of the vital jobs they thought their husbands were doing, only to discover years later that the police had been “a vehicle for the worst kind of infidelity”.

They explained how they had only discovered the deceit through media reports and had been left with feelings of shame and fear.

While the women who were duped into having relationships with undercover officers have received an apology from the Met, the wives of the men have not. In an opening submission to the undercover policing inquiry, Angus Mccullough QC said: “None of them had any idea that in the name of policing their husbands were having sexual relationships with other women.

“All were left shocked and devastated by the media coverage as it unfolded which affected not only them but also their children and wider families.”

He added: “They want some recognition: recognition of their existence and their roles, of the impact and damage on them and their children.

“They can see the apology from the Metropolitan Police, hard fought for, which has been received by some of the women who were targeted by undercover officers. They cannot understand why they have not received an equivalent apology. They sacrificed so many aspects of their lives for the police and not once has anyone from the Met acknowledged, let alone apologised for, what has been done to them and their families.”

The women will tell the inquiry that they believed their husbands had been targeting serious and violent criminals, only to later discover it was environmental and political protesters.

The officers were recruited by the Special Demonstration Squad, who deliberately sought out married men because they were thought to be more grounded.

Earlier, David Lock QC asked the inquiry for a “cast-iron guarantee” that his client, former undercover officerturned-whistleblower Peter Francis, will not face prosecution for lifting the lid on secret police tactics when he spoke to journalists in 2010.