Vincent Harvey
This article is part of the Undercover Research Portal at Powerbase - investigating corporate and police spying on activists
Vincent James Harvey is a former senior police officer who served as Director of UK Resources at the National Criminal Intelligence Service 1998 to 2002.[1] Prior to this he had been a Special Branch officer including serving as an undercover in the Special Demonstration Squad.
While with the SDS he used the cover name Vince Miller to infiltrate the Socialist Workers Party from 1976 to 1979.[2] According to Sir John Mitting, Chair of the Undercover Policing Inquiry, the officer's 'deployment appears to have been unremarkable, despite the fact that he has admitted four 'fleeting' sexual encounters with different females during his deployment - two of them with female members of the Walthamstow branch of the SWP. One of them was 'Madeleine', who was granted core participant status in the Undercover Policing Inquiry on 6 January 2021.[3].
For the purposes of the Undercover Policing Inquiry he was also referred to by the cipher HN354 (for the N cipher system see N officers). The Inquiry had ruled his real name would be restricted.[4]
Following a statement from Madeleine, Mitting decided to revoke the restriction order over the real name though not before both the undercover and Madeleine gave evidence.[5] In April 2021 both gave live evidence to the Undercover Policing Inquiry. The restriction order over his real name was revoked in September 2021.[6]
+++++ Last Updated 22 September 2021 +++++
As an SDS undercover officer
A full profile of Harvey's time as an undercover police officer is being prepared.
- Witness statement of Vincent James Harvey with list of associated exhibits.
- Transcript of Harvey's evidence to the Inquiry.
- Gist of Harvey's accounts of sexual relationships while undercover
- Witness statement of 'Madeleine'
- Transcript of Madeleine's evidence to the Inquiry with index of associated exhibits.
Photographs of Vincent Harvey, while undercover as 'Vince Miller', provided by Madeleine.
In the Undercover Policing Inquiry
- 22 November 2017: directed that any application for anonymity from the MPS Legal Team by were to be made by 30 November, and for the MPS Designated Lawyer Team by 4 December 2017[7]
- 15 Jan 2018: Mitting indicates he is minded to grant the restriction order over real name and that there was no application in relation to cover name which will be published in due course.[10] The Inquiry Chair also stated:[11]
- In the unlikely event that any member of the public can be prompted to give evidence about his deployment publication of his cover name would serve that purpose.' Publication of real name is not necessary to permit Inquiry to fulfil its terms of reference and would give rise to interference with his article 8 rights to private and family life.
- 19 June 2018: cover name and target group released.[2]
- 9 July 2018: provisional ruling to restrict real name.[12] Directed that any objections to this to be made by 20 July 2018.[13]
- 30 July 2018: final ruling that HN354's real name will be restricted in the Inquiry.[14]
- 9 October 2018: Restiction order granted over disclosure of any information by the Inquiry which would lead to the identification of HN354's real name.[6]
- 6 January 2021: "'Madeleine' applies to be designated as a core participant in Category [H]. She joined the Walthamstow branch of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) in the mid-1970s. This branch of the SWP was infiltrated by HN354 ('Vince Miller') between the beginning of 1977 and September 1979". She says to have had an sexual relationship with him between 1978 and 1979, 'the last year of his deployment' which is of some significance to her. This ended with his sudden departure.[3]
- 30 March 2021 (revised 6 April 2021): Mitting issues a ruling that HN354's real name will be revoked in light of Madeleine's witness statement where she sets out the relationship with the undercover. There will be a delay in doing this because:[5]
- It is, however, imperative that the risk of a seriously adverse impact on his immediate family member is not run. Madeleine accepts that it should not be. For that reason, the Inquiry will not publish the real name of HN354 before the risk has passed; and it will not be revoked before he gives evidence.
- 21 September 2021: Mitting revoked the restriction order over HN354's real name.[6] The same day Harvey's witness statement is re-released containing the full real name, Vincent James Harvey.[15] Three photographs provided by Madeleine of Harvey while he was undercover were also released through the Inquiry website.[16]
Notes
- ↑ Police & Constabulary Almanacs, R Maxwell & Co, various years.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Email to core participants, '20180619_UCPI_to_all_CPs_HN65_HN351_HN354', Undercover Policing Inquiry, 19 June 2018, referencing an update of the webpage UCPI.org.uk/cover-names.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Core participants Ruling 39, Recognised Legal Representatives Ruling 32, Cost of Legal Representation Awards Ruling 31 Application for a restriction order by ‘Madeleine' Undercover Policing Inquiry, 6 January 2021.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Sir John Mtting, Applications for restriction orders in respect of the real and cover names of officers of the Special Operations Squad and the Special Demonstration Squad: Ruling 19, Undercover Polcing Inquiry, 30 March 2021, revised 6 April 2021 (accessed 21 September 2021).
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Sir John Mitting, Revocation of a restiction order under Sectoon 19 of the Inquiries Act 2005: HN354, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 20 September 2021 (viewed 20 September 2021).
- ↑ 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).
- ↑ Open application for a restriction order (anonymity) re: HN354, 'Metropolitan Police Service, 29 November 2017, published 9 July 2018).
- ↑ List of documents relating to SOS officers - published 09 July 2018, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 9 July 2018.
- ↑ 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).
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Publication of documents relating to anonymity applications: National Public Order Intelligence Unit & Special Demonstration Squad, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 9 July 2018.
- ↑ Sir John Mitting, Applications for restriction orders in respect of real and cover names of officers of the Special Operations Squad and the Special Demonstration Squad and of the National Public Order Intelligence Unit - Directions, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 3 July 2018.
- ↑ 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 12 and Ruling 10, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 30 July 2018.
- ↑ Vincent Harvey, First Witness Statement of HN354 as supplemented, Metropolitan Police Service, signed 18 November 2019, supplemented 10 March 2021; reissued by Undercover Policing Inquiry on 21 September 2021 (accessed 21 September 2021).
- ↑ HN 354, Undercover Policing Inquiry - ucpi.org.uk (accessed 21 September 2021).
