It is time to review how undercover policing is monitored

I am not enthusiastic about the use of undercover officers but acknowledge there are circumstances when, to take forward an investigation into terrorism or organised crime, nothing else will work.

However, policing depends on honesty, integrity and transparency and when officers are selected to live a life of “authorised” lies and deceit without effective management, problems will occur.

Their “Walter Mitty” existence makes it difficult to properly assess and oversee the officer’s wellbeing and their activities.

Oversight of their activities relies heavily on trusting the individual officer’s integrity, maturity and wellbeing in what is often a dangerous and stressful working environment.

In this case an absence of management allowed highly irregular activities to develop unnoticed.

Unfortunately once identified the management responses demonstrated a panicked concern for reputations rather than dealing with the actual problem.

The whistleblower was then left to feel isolated and her welfare overlooked.

Police undercover work is the source of some of the most worrying situations faced by the service and a rigorous reassessment is needed to take account of public expectations and Scots law.

Secret techniques must be protected but rules around welfare and governance need revisited.