Bill Biggs (alias)

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



Part of a series on
undercover police officers
'HN356/124'
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Alias: Stewart Goodman
Deployment: 1977-1981/2
Unit:
Targets:
Socialists Workers Party

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