Bill Biggs (alias)
This article is part of the Undercover Research Portal at Powerbase - investigating corporate and police spying on activists
Bill Biggs is the cover name used by a former undercover officer with the Special Demonstration Squad who was deployed into the Anti-Apartheid Movement and the International Socialists 1977 to 1981/2.
For the purposes of the Undercover Policing Inquiry and Operation Herne, they are also referred to by the ciphers HN124 / HN356 (for the N cipher system see N officers), having been allocated two numbers by Operation Herne.[1] The Inquiry has ruled that the officer's real name will be restricted.[2]
As an SDS undercover officer
Deployed against Socialist Workers Party 1977-1981. No known allegation of misconduct against him. Deployment apparently unremarkable other than he was present on the demonstration of 23 April 1979 where Blair Peach was killed.[1] When his cover name was released the dates given were 1977-1982.[3]
In the Undercover Policing Inquiry
- 22 November 2017: directed any application for anonymity were to be made MPS Legal Team by 30 November, and for the MPS Designated Lawyer Team by 4 December 2017.[4]
- 15 January 2018: Inquiry Chair, Sir John Mitting, minded to grant restriction order over real name; no application in relation to cover name which will be published in due course. Deceased, his widow wishes a restriction order in terms of both HN356's real and cover name, but no formal application made by her. Mitting sees no reason as to why release of the cover name would lead to the real name being discovered, so declines to make such an order, but does believe publishing the real name would interfere with the widow's Article 8 rights (private life) and not be justified. Publication of the cover name would serve the Inquiries purposes without needing the real name.[1][5]
- 17 April 2018: cover name released.[3].
- 15 May 2018: the Inquiry ruled the officer's real name would be restricted.[6]
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Sir John Mitting, Applications for restriction orders in respect of the real and cover names of officers of the Special Operations Squad and the Special Demonstration Squad: 'Minded to' note 3, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 15 January 2018.
- ↑ Kate Wilkinson, Counsel to the Inquiry's Explanatory Note to accompany the Chairman's 'Minded-To' Note 12 in respect of applications for restrictions over the real and cover names of officers of the Special Operations Squad and the Special Demonstration Squad, Undercover Public Inquiry, 13 September 2018.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cover names, Undercover Policing Inquiry, updated 17 April 2018.
- ↑ Applications for restriction orders in respect of the real and cover names of officers of the Special Operations Squad and the Special Demonstrations Squad - Directions, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 22 November 2017 (accessed 26 November 2017).
- ↑ Press notice - ‘Minded-to’ anonymity: Special Demonstration Squad Officers (HN13, HN296, HN304, HN339, HN340, HN354, HN356/124, HN61, HN819, HN109, HN9, HN66), Undercover Policing Inquiry, 15 January 2018 (accessed 15 January 2018).
- ↑ In the matter of section 19 (3) of the Inquiries Act 2005 Applications for restriction orders in respect of the real and cover names of officers of the Special Operations Squad and the Special Demonstrations Squad: Ruling, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 15 May 2018.
