John Lipscomb (alias)

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
'HN87'
Alias:	John Lipscomb
Deployment:	1980s/1990s
Unit:	Special Demonstration Squad
Targets:	unknown

John Lipscomb is the cover name given to a former Special Demonstration Squad undercover officer who was deployed in the following group between 1987 and 1990: 'Brixton Anti-Poll Tax Group / Brixton Anarchist Community (Sudbourne Road Squat),Brixton Hunt Saboteurs, Bromley Animal Rights Group, Croydon Animal Aid, Hither Green Hunt Saboteurs, Sidcup Hunt Saboteurs,South London Animal Aid'. The name and the groups he was deployed in were released by the Inquiry on the 23 Feburary 2022. He was previoulsy know only by the HN87 cipher given to him by the Herne Inquiry.

As of 24 Feburary 2022 investigations by the Undercover Reseach Group are ongoing into the details of his deployment. If anyone has any infomation regarding this officer please contact the Undercover Research Group: here, PGP available on request.

The chair of the Undercover Policing Inquiry, John Mitting, has previously ruled that the real and cover name will be restricted in the Inquiry on health grounds.

For the N cipher system see N officers page.

As an SDS undercover

Held sensitive posts before joining the SDS. Does not recall who recruited them to that unit, and there was no psychometric testing. Initially spent time in back office. One of the groups infiltrated 'was violent in outlook' and HN87 believes one individual there presents an ongoing threat. They were not arrested, though were stopped while driving and asked to produce documents. Another part of the risk assessment states:

N87 was considered as part of a potential miscarriage of justice that may have occurred when a number of activists were arrested for property offences but appears not to have been involved.

Joined Special Branch in 1970s and said:

I signed the Official Secrets Act which I have respected and I expected my employer to do the same. It was made clear on joining Special Branch that the whole branch was very confidential.

I was not given an express promise of confidentiality but the whole set up of Special Branch, the act that the SOS was a secret group operating from covert premises, and the process to obtain a covert identity made it clear that both myreal and cover identity would be protected. I would not have agreed to do the role if I thought that my identity would be revealed.

Says they did not have any sexual relationships when deployed.

The risk assessment notes:

In relation to welfare and support N87 states that s/he tended to 'just get on with it'. Most of N87's colleagues would have been supportive. N87 did not request or require input when s/he was deployed.

Retired from police in 2000s and has moved onto other careers.

The risk assessor places threat of harm from as low if cover or real name is revealed.

In the Undercover Policing Inquiry

• 19 April 2018: Directed to file anonymity application by 24/27 April 2018.

• 23 May 2018: Inquiry Chair, John Mitting, stated he was minded to restrict the real and cover names for reasons which cannot be made public.

• 9 July 2018: provisional decision by Mitting to restrict real and cover names, with application material being released:

• Open application for a restriction order (anonymity) re: HN87, Metropolitan Police Service, real name only, 23 April 2018.
• Open application for a restriction order (anonymity) in respect of HN87's real name and cover name, MPS 'Designated Lawyers Team', 1 May 2018.
• Impact Statement of HN87, 27 April 2018.
• N87 - Risk Assessment, 12 June 2018 (David Reid).

It was also directed that any objections to Mitting's intention to grant the restriction order to be made by 20 July 2018.

• 30 July 2018: Mitting rules the real and cover names of HN87 will be restricted in the Inquiry.

• 11 November 2021 Mitting revokes restrciton order regarding cover name - 'due to change in personal circumstances'.<ref="mitting.ruling.20.11Nov2021" John Mitting,Ruling 20 Undercover Policing Inquiry,11 November 2021.</ref>

• 23 Feburary 2022 Inquiry Publishe Cover Name and Groups Targeted.