HN294

This article is part of the Undercover Research Portal at Powerbase - investigating corporate and police spying on activists

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Part of a series on undercover police officers
'HN294'
Alias:	unknown
Deployment:	unknown
Unit:	Special Demonstration Squad
Targets:	unknown

HN294 is the cipher given to a former Special Demonstration Squad] undercover officer and manager. Now deceased, they were deployed in 1968-69 and then went on to hold a managerial position in the unit. Deceased. The Undercover Policing Inquiry has ruled HN294's real name will be restricted.

• For the N cipher system see N officers page.

As an SDS officer

Deployed in 1968-1969 against one group which no longer exists, and reported on others, which also no longer exist. Managerial position in SDS 1969-1974. Their cover name has not been ascertained.

In the Undercover Policing Inquiry

An application was made by the MPS to restricting real name, submitted along with evidence from family and a risk assessment - of which open versions were published in August 2017.

In his 'Minded-to' of August 2017, the Inquiry Chair, John Mitting, said he intended to restrict the real name, noting:

There is no risk to their safety and minimal risk of intrusive interest in them even if his real name were to be published. They wish to avoid that risk. Although the risk is minimal, nothing would be gained by running it. Unless HN294’s cover name were to become known, publication of his real name could not prompt evidence from one or more members of the affected groups. Evidence about his managerial role, if it is available, can be given by others who knew him, by reference to his cypher. In those circumstances, interference with the right of his widow and family to respect for their private life under Article 8 of the European Convention would not be justifiable under Article 8(2).

August 2017 application: Open application for restriction order, open risk assessment (Brian Lockie), open personal statement (1), open personal statement (2). See also the NPSCP submissions of 5 October 2017.

The application was heard at the hearing of 21 November 2017, and Mitting ruling in favour of restricting the real name on 5 December. The grounds for the ruling were interference with the rights of the widow (a family member having written on her behalf) despite their being 'no risk to the safety of his widow and family and minimal risk of intrusive media interest in them if his real name were to be published)'. He also said the submission that the chance the public being able to provide details of HN294's time undercover if they had his real name was 'fanciful', so it was not necessary to provide the real name in order to fulfil the Inquiry's terms of reference. The Restriction Order was issued on 8 December 2017.

HN294 is mentioned in Risk Assessment of HN348 as one of two officers likely to have recruited her to the SDS in 1971, the other being with Phil Saunders (HN1251).