NUSP: members and attendees

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 Policing Organisations
National Undercover Scrutiny Panel (members and attendees biographies)
Alias:	Undercover Policing Oversight Board / Group, National Oversight Group
Description:	A national body to 'review, challenge and provide feedback on the standards for undercover policing' in the UK
Parent organisations:	College of Policing
Dates:	2014 to present (2017)

This page sets out brief biographies of members and other attendees present at meetings of the College of Policing's National Undercover Scrutiny Panel (National Oversight Group). It also sets out some details of connected officers as they relate to matters being considered by the Undercover Policing Inquiry.

• Main article: National Undercover Scrutiny Panel

Panel members and biographies

Regular attendees of the Scrutiny Panel

Name	Role	Short biography
Alex Marshall (Chair)	College of Policing	In February 2013 he became Chief Executive Officer of the College of Policing, having been Chief Constable of Hampshire Police since 2008. As acting Deputy Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police (under Sara Thornton - see below), he was involved the investigation of animal rights extremists, which places him close to the National Coordinator Domestic Extremism and the NPOIU. Previous roles saw him as Head of the Metropolitan Police's Public Order Training Department and Senior Investigating Officer in its Anti Corruption Command. In 2000 he was a head of specialist operation policing for Cambridge Police, which would have seen him encounter animal rights campaigns against Huntingdon Life Sciences. He retired from the College of Policing in September 2017, taking up a position at the International Cricket Council. He was succeeded by Rachel Tuffin as Interim CEO, a civil servant.
Sue Mountstevens	Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner	Represents the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) on the Scrutiny Panel. A magistrate for 15 years and director of the family firm Mountstevens Bakeries, she became the Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner (as an Independent) in 2012, and ws re-elected in 2016. for having told her Chief Constable Nick Gargan the name of a whistle-blower who had complained about sexual advances from him.
unnamed individual		'A clinician working to support undercover officers'. Also referred to in various minutes as a psychologist. He emailed the Scrutiny Panel prior to the meeting of January 2016 expressing his disappointment in the wake of the Carlo Neri exposure. He sent notice of his resignation from the Panel to the meeting of January 2017.
Jon Boutcher	Bedfordshire Police	Chief Constable for Bedfordshire (appointed May 2014). As ACC he is head of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire & Hertfordshire Joint Protective Services which includes the Counter Terrorism & Domestic Extremism (CTDE) team for those counties. In August 2014 he replaced Richard Martin as Chair of the National Undercover Working Group. In 2014 he was the ACPO National Policing Lead for Undercover Policing. He also took over from his predecessor John Fletcher as leading on the College of Policing's new Code of Ethics. He joined Bedfordshire Constabulary as Deputy Chief Constable in May 2014 and was appointed Chief Constable in August 2015; as such he oversees the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit and the Eastern Counter Terrorism Intelligence Unit. He is also leading Operation Kenova, an investigation into historical murders in Northern Ireland. Previously he has been Silver Commander during the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezies, and lead the hunt for the 21/7 attempted suicide bombers. While an Assistant Chief Constable of Hertfordshire Police (2011 to 2013) he was ACPO lead on the Regulation of Investigative Powers Act, which provides the legislative framework for covert and undercover activities. He has also been the National Co-ordinator PURSUE, leading role within the Government's counter-terrorism Strategy, CONTEST.
David Tucker	College of Policing	Head of the Crime and Criminal Justice Faculty for College of Policing. As a Detective Superintendent, he worked with ACPO TAM on community issues. and was head of National Community Tension Team (where he was associated with Rob Beckley and worked with Special Branch on a national level). He was Borough Commander (Chief Supt.) for Enfield 2009-2011 before moving to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children as Head of Policy (2011-2014). Previously Tucker had been a Det. Ch. Insp. at the Racial and Violent Crimes Task Force (ca. 2002-2003) where he worked with John Grieve, another officer with significant undercover policing connections. He should not be confused with Commander David Tucker who headed up the Met's Anti-Terrorism Branch (SO13).
Chris Green	Merseyside Police	In January 2015 Green was Det. Superintendent for Covert Operations, Merseyside police. He had previously been Chief of Staff to Chief Constable Jon Murphy (see below) in 2012 He subsequently became Det. Ch. Supt. heading up the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NW ROCU), also known as Operation Titan.
Mick Creedon	Chief Constable of Derbyshire Police	He was the National Lead Organised Crime for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), and lead officer for Operation Herne - the Metropolitan Police's investigation into the activities of its own Special Branch undercover unit, the Special Demonstration Squad. From 2006 to 2007 he was the National Co-ordinator on Serious and Organised Crime for ACPO, and has remained as National Policing Lead for the National Crime Agency Working Group. He retired from the police in May 2017.
Joe McGuigan	HM Revenue & Customs	In 2007 he was the Assistant Director (Criminal) Investigation / Head of Investigation, Northern Ireland for HMRC in 2007. HMRC are known to make use of undercover officers.
Dr Chris Nathan	Warwick University, Interdisciplinary Ethics Research Group	A research fellow he describes work as focusing on 'ethical issues connecting counter-terrorism and the policing of transnational organised crime' and having an interest in the ethics of policing. He participated in the SURVEILLE research project, an EU FP7 funded programme which looks at the impacts of surveillance systems, and the 'Ethics and Security: Terrorism and Transnational Organised Crime' aspect of the Global Uncertainties project. Currently working on an EU Horizon 2020 project on responsibility in research and innovation entitled Prisma. Dr. Nathan conducted his PhD at the Department of Politics at the University of Exeter (ca. 2010/11) at a time when he would have overlapped with spycop Bob Lambert who was doing a PhD in the same department 2008-2011, and who was associated with the European Muslim Research Centre, also in the Department of Politics, Exeter.
Dr. Katerina Hadjimatheou	Warwick University, Interdisciplinary Ethics Research Group	Research work focuses on 'police ethics, preventive policing, and surveillance'. Currently with the Interdisciplinary Ethics Research Group where her research looks at the ethics of policing, security technologies, border control, trafficking and surveillance. Previously a research fellow with SURVEILLE (see under Chris Nathan above), where she researched the ethics of data retention, preventive policing and profiling in border security, and the DETECTER EU security research projects. She also 'produced a report on the ethics of border control for the EU Borders agency FRONTEX and consulted on their code of ethics'. Currently with the MEDI@4SEC and PERICLES research programmes, the latter 'which produces counter-radicalisation tools for police and other actors'. She also sits on an ethical panel relating to 'digital policing' and is Chair of the Chair of the Gloucestershire Constabulary Ethics Panel.
Prof Ben Bowling	Dickson Poon School of Law	Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Kings College London, where he is the Deputy Executive Dean of the Dickson Poon School of Law. He has been at the School of Law since 1999, and his research 'examines practical, political and legal problems in policing and the connections between local and global police power'. He is a noted academic author on racism, crime, violence and justice. He is also active with the StopWatch coalition, which campaigns on 'excess and disproportionate stop and search, promote best practice and ensure fair, effective policing for all'.
John Dilworth	Crown Prosecution Services	He is the Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS North East Area (Newcastle-upon-Tyne), taking up that post in July 2014. Before this he was a high ranking manger in the North West Area as head of the Complex Casework Unit where he had experience of prosecuting cases involving undercover police surveillance. In 2001 he was appointed Head of the Preston Trials Unit, in 2003 made Head of a combined unit in South West Lancashire and in 2008 Head of the Lancashire/Cumbria Complex Casework Unit. In July 2011 he headed up the newly formed North West Complex Casework Unit until July 2014 when he John took up the post of Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS North East. He became Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Mersey-Cheshire in 2017.
Tom Gash	Institute for Government	A founding staff member of the Institute for Government in January 2008, he served as its Director of Research 2013-2015, before becoming a senior fellow at the Institute. Prior to the Institute, he worked as senior crime policy adviser in the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit under Tony Blair. He continues to have a strong interest in crime policy. Noted for a 2008 report 'The New Bill: Modernising the police workforce', for the Institute for Public Policy Research, which argued that the police wage system, based on length of service, should be abolished in favour of performance and skills based salaries.
Michael Lupton	Counter-Terrorism	A senior Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism police officer. Represented the Counter-Terrorism national network. Subsequently an Acting Det. Ch. Supt. as Head of Operations for National Counter Terrorism Police Operations Centre (NCTPOC). According to the NPCC website: National Counter Terrorism Policing Network stretches across the UK and sees specialist officers and staff working with MI5 and other partners to find information and evidence to thwart terrorist planning and help bring perpetrators to justice. It is made up of dedicated regional and national police units, and is responsible for the delivery of the UK policing contribution to HMG’s CONTEST Strategy. Alongside the headquarters is the National Counter Terrorism Policing Operations Centre (NCTPOC) which is a central operational command made up of units that provide operational support to the national network. Teams within the Operations Centre are: Ports, Intelligence, Firearms Suppression, Coordination Centre. Other parts of the CT network include Special Branches and other specialist units.
Andy Ward	NPCC Public Inquiry Coordinator	Career officer with Merseyside Police for 33 years where in 2009 he rose to rank of Assistant Chief Constable, overseeing Matrix and TITAN (serious organised crime units). Also served with the Force Major Incident Team investigating high profile murders and the Regional Crime Squad. In 2005 was Area Commander for Liverpool North. Retired in January 2016. In 2016 he lead an independent review for the UK Anti-Doping Agency into its use of intelligence. He was subsequently appointed in the second half of 2016 as Public Inquiry Coordinator by the National Police Chiefs' Council to coordinate the responses of regional police forces to the Undercover Policing Inquiry (a role created at the suggestion of Mick Creedon).
Teena Chowdhury	Undercover Registrar - College of Policing	Appointed registrar for CoP accredited undercover policing training courses, Summer/Autumn 2016.

Infrequent / occasional participants

Police

Name	Role	Short biography
Stephen Otter	HM Inspectorate of Constabulary	Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police 2007-2012, before joining the Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC). At the HMIC, he headed a 2014 report critical of the National Undercover Working Group, calling for a shake-up of it. He also authored a 2012 HMIC report critical of the Historical Enquiries Team in Northern Ireland for given preferential treatment to the security forces and for lack of independence. Appointed a commander at the Metropolitan Police in 2001 (head of the Police Reform Project in the Deputy Commissioners office), he subsequently served as Deputy Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset from 2002 to 2005. He was reappointed an Inspector of Constabulary for a second five year term in 2015 but retired in May 2016.
Richard Martin	Metropolitan Police	Commander for Intelligence and Covert Policing at the Metropolitan Police Service. A former chair of the National Undercover Working Group, he stepped down ahead of criticism of his leadership in the 2014 HMIC report, though he continued as a member. He had taken over as Chair of NUWG from DAC Pat Gallan in January 2013. His background is in organised crime for the Metropolitan Police, and January 2002 to December 2004 he was Head of Intelligence for the National Criminal Intelligence Service,. There he was 'Detective Chief Inspector responsible for conducting covert operations aimed at tackling serious and organized crime'. a post likely to have brought him into contact with undercover police units such as the NPOIU. He was still Commander of Intelligence & Covert Policing in August 2016 but later that year was appointed T/Dep. Assistant Commissioner, heading up Professional Standards (under Fiona Taylor.
Kerry Robinson	College of Policing	She was a programme manager at the CoP and its predecessor organisations (Centrex, NPIA) from June 2005 to January 2015.
Gordon Ryan	College of Policing.	Principle (Clinical) Psychologist at Centrex (2001-2003), the National Policing Improvement Agency (2007-2012) and the College of Policing (2012-2014). Of the latter position he wrote that he 'has sat on national policing governance boards for leadership selection, talent management, executive development and the organisational development of undercover policing' and 'He was credited by various executive officers, with national responsibility for specialist covert areas of policing, as being the architect of an comprehensive and integrated programme to change approaches and cultures within covert policing'. Ryan currently runs his own business, Prism Work Psychology Ltd, as an independent, chartered occupational psychologist.
Rob Beckley	College of Policing	Chief Operating Officer for the College of Policing. A former member of the Terrorism and Allied Matters committee where he was the lead on communities and counter-terrorism from 2002 to 2007, In particular, he 'set up the National Community Tensions Team and designed and led the Prevent strand of the national counter-terrorism strategy'. It is now known that in terms of policing, Prevent is a front for Special Branch work (i.e. the National Co-ordinator PREVENT is the same role as the former National Co-ordinator for Special Branch). As such he is likely to have had a close connection to the national units on domestic extremism and their associated undercover policing. In November 2012, Beckley was Deputy Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset police when he temporarily took over as Chief Constable from Colin Port, who had been told to reapply for his job by the newly appointed Police and Crime Commissioner, Sue Mountstevens. Nick Gargan was appointed to succeed Port as Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset in March 2013, and in June 2013, Beckley moved to the CoP. He retired from the College of Policing in March 2016 and in November that year was appointed to succeed Jon Stoddart as head of Operation Resolve, the criminal investigation into Hillsborough with rank of Assistatnt Commissioner (at the Metropolitan Police Service.
Shaun Sawyer	Devon and Cornwall Police	Chief Constable since February 2013. 'From 2005 to 2007 he was the Met Police lead for covert operations and intelligence combating serious and organised crime and terrorism, and from 2008-2009 was head of Counter-Terrorism Command (SO13). He joined Devon and Cornwall Police as Deputy Chief Constable in April 2010. In February 2013 formally he succeeded Stephen Otter (above), as Chief Constable, though he had been acting Chief Constable since March 2012. He is notable for having re-investigated the Suzy Lampugh murder and as head of the Anti-Corruption Unit (CIB3) at Scotland Yard, where he ran covert investigations. From 'From 1996 to 1998 he served within Specialist Operations in the private office of Assistant Commissioner Specialist Operations David Veness and as 'Detective Superintendent Security, Protection and Counter-Terrorism', which would make him closely connected with the Metropolitan Police Special Branch. Veness helped set up the National Public Order Intelligence Unit in 1999, and was in the line of command for the Special Demonstration Squad.
Oliver Cattermole	Chief of Staff, College of Policing	Previously Communications Manager / Director of Communications for the Association of Chief Police Officers (now the National Police Chiefs Council) where he worked with key individuals such as Sir Hugh Orde, Sara Thornton, Mick Creedon, Alex Marshall, Cressida Dick and Nick Gargan Was still in position as Chief of Staff in August 2017.
Natalie Davidson	Deputy Head of Communications, College of Policing	Previously a spokeswoman / Media Manager for the British Transport Police and a senior press officer with the Association of Chief Police Officers. She was Deputy Head of Communications from April 2013 to May 2015, leaving to establish her own public relations consultancy, Swell Communications; she had previously been an online sub-editor for The Times and Sunday Times (2003-2009).
Lisa Garland	College of Policing	Occupational psychologist
Frankie Flood	National Undercover Working Group	Detective Superintendent, Head of Covert Governance and Intelligence Compliance in 2015. As head of the Covert Standard Unit in the Metropolitan Police is also the secretary of the NPCC's National Operational Security Working Group.
Iain O'Brien	College of Policing (associate)	Thought to be Ch. Supt. Iain O'Brien, a retired West Midlands Police officer and former head of the National Ballistic Intelligence Service (NABIS).
Gary McFadden	College of Policing	Lead Training Manager for Covert Training (June 2012 - Sept 2015) then Training Team Manager for Covert Policing (March 2016 - ) at the College of Policing. Previously a police officer for 30 years, rising to rank of Detective Inspector.
Chris Farrimond	National Crime Agency	Deputy Director, Intelligence Collection (2014-2016) and International (2017). Previously he had worked on drug investigations for HMRC, before joining the Serious Organised Crime Agency as a regional head of invesetigations.
Brian Quinn	HMIC	Detective Superintendent. Specialist in digital investigation and intelligence.
Matt Parr	HMIC	Royal Navy officer, where he commanded submarines and rose to rank of Rear Admiral. Was Head of Submarine Service and also was Director of Operations for the Navy. Appointed as a HM Inspector of Constabulary in August 2016. His role is for counter-terrorism and various police forces including MPS, NCA, HMRC, Civil Nuclear Constabulary and Ministry of Defence Police.
Natalie Williams	Kent Police
Jeffrey Hill	NUWG	Involved in surveillance and covert operations at Cambridgeshire Police, where he was Intelligence Manager, Head of Covert Operations Unit and a Crime Manager. Went on to become Head of Major Crime (Det. Supt.) at the Joint Protective Services (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire constabularies), rising to rank of Assistant Chief Constable in charge of the unit in August 2014. In June 2015 Head of Regional Organised Crime Unit and Counter Terrrorism Intelligence Unit (Beds., Cambs., Essex, Herts., Norfolk & Suffolk). Retired September 2016. In March 2017 established Harrier Global Ltd, with Charles Philip Rashbrook (a covert policing expert) which provides: 'strategic support to assist in the development of new capability as well as the complete range of both overt and covert investigative tactics and resources...' 'Providing strategic advice and capability support in the areas of law enforcement and intelligence, to corporate entities and nation states.' 'Delivering operational support to organisations and private clients looking to gather evidence and/or intelligence on the activities of others.'
Alan Pughsley	Chair NUWG	A former Metropolitan Police detective specialising in murder, armed robbery, firearms and drug-related investigations. 2005 headed the MPS's Kidnap and Special Investigation Unit (as Det. Supt.), and lead the Special Projects Team looking at contract killing and serious & organised crime. In 2007 he was Borough Commander for Lewisham (Chief Superintendent). In May 2009 he became Assistant Chief Constable for Specialist Operations at Kent, before heading up the joint Kent & Essex Serious Crime Directorate. March 2011 appointed Deputy Chief Constable for Kent, becoming Chief Constable in December 2013. He succeeded Jon Boutcher as Chair of the National Undercover Working Group mid 2016.
Brian McNeill	Staff officer to Jon Murphy in 2014.	A biography for him stated: Brian McNeill is the Head of the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Department within the Liverpool Centre for Advanced Policing Studies at Liverpool John Moores University. He retired from Merseyside Police in 2011 after 30 years service, his last position with that force being Detective Chief Superintendent - Head of Crime, prior to which he was Head of Intelligence, Special Branch and Scientific Support. As an accredited Senior Investigating Officer he had responsibility for leading reactive and proactive investigations into all levels of homicide including Category A+ Murders, Counter Terrorism, corruption and covert operations into serious and organised crime. Since retirement he has performed the role as Staff Officer to the National Policing Crime Business Area which involved the oversight, coordination and support of 12 Portfolios and 119 National Working Groups with responsibility for national and strategic level issues around policy, guidance and training. More recently, he has been a member of the NPCC National Coordination Team for all police forces in relation to the Public Inquiry into Undercover Policing.
Steve Craddock	Operation Herne.	Detective Superintendent, seconded to Operation Herne as its Senior Investigating Officer. In 2013 he disputed the IPCC's conclusion that it was likely the police had provided information to the Consultancy Association blacklisting database. Also in 2013, Craddock wrote to undercover policing whistleblower Peter Francis, denying him immunity from prosecution.
Neil Hunter	HMIC	April 2005 joined Lancashire Police's Force Major Investigation Team where he investigated murders (including that of Sophie Lancaster), kidnap & extortion and stranger rapes. Senior Investigating Officer and head of Homicide Command May 2008 to June 2012 as Det. Superintendent. June 2012 seconded to HM Inspectorate of Constabulary as Lead for Protective Services - Major & Specialist Crime (rank of Det. Ch. Supt.). Retired April 2016, when he set up his own company NTH Solutions Ltd, providing 'strategic and operational support and advice on specialist crime and major crime.' At HMIC his work included inspections of the PSNI Historical Enquiries Team and the 'HMIC review of the special grant application for funds to support the ongoing costs of the Operation Herne into the Special Demonstration Squad and National Public Order Intelligence Unit'.

Non-police

Name	Role	Short biography
Sophie Khan	Police Action Centre	Stood down from the Scrutiny Panel on 1 June 2015 (see under main article and also the URG blog: The Undercover Policing Scrutiny Panel ) Police Action Centre. A solicitor who specialises in suing the police, inquests and the use of tasers. Founder and Director of Legal and Policy for the Police Action Centre. She is also a trustee of the Stop and Search Legal Project and an executive member of the Haldane Society. She has worked for various solicitors, including Imran Khan & Partners.
David Carrigan	Independent Advisory Group	Chair of the College of Policing's Independent (Equality) Advisory Group since April 2010. He previously been chair of the National Police Improvement Agency's Equality Advisory Group Board member of Praxis, a charity; Senior Manager, Diversity & Cohesion at the Homes and Community Agency. Formerly he had been Policy Manager for the Housing Corporation, and prior to that worked for the Commission for Racial Equality 1999 to 2004.
Bob Satchwell	Society of Editors	Executive Director of the Society of Editors, Satchwell is a leading figure in the UK newspaper industry, holding a number of leading positions on representative bodies as well as being a former editor of the Cambridge Evening News. As part of this he has been helped draw up codes of practice. He has also been a member of the Defence Press and Broadcasting Advisory Committee, the Cabinet Office Media Emergencies Forum, Ministry of Justice Information Users’ Group, the Home Office Community Cohesion Media Practitioner Group, the Queen’s Jubilee Communications Committee and the Home Office advisory committee for the review of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. Primarily he is the Executive Director of the Society of Editors, since its formation in 1999 (it had previously been the Guild of Editors, of which he was President from 1997). The main role of the Defence Press and Broadcasting Advisory Committee is to issue D-Notices (or DA-Notices), a supposedly voluntary system 'prevent inadvertent public disclosure of information that would compromise UK military and intelligence operations and methods, or put at risk the safety of those involved in such operations, or lead to attacks that would damage the critical national infrastructure and/or endanger lives.' There are a number of Standing DA Notices, one of which deals with the protection of undercover officers and operations.
Peter Jukes	Media consultant	Jukes is a playwright, journalist and author on political issues. Author of a book on Rupert Murdoch and noted for his reporting on the phone hacking scandal which resulted in another book Beyond Contempt: Intrigue at Trial of the Century. It is not clear what his expertise on undercover policing is, other than that in 2000/2001 he wrote the fictional TV programme 'In Deep', which was about undercover police who spent years in that role. He said of his research for the script: "I was getting nowhere through the official channels, but I found two unofficial channels which, obviously, I can't reveal. They took me out to show me the procedures. They weren't operational undercover officers at the time, but they had been or else they were backing up other officers. They knew the whole routine." He is also of note for shadowing lobbyist Ian Greer as part of a research project during the cash-for-questions scandal.
Dr Bethan Lofthouse	Centre for Criminology	No person of this name has been found. However, a spelling mistake may have been made, as there is a Bethan Loftus at the Manchester Centre for Regulation, Governance and Security, Department of Criminology, School of Law, University of Manchester, who has authored a number of academic papers on covert surveillance, RIPA and related subjects, and has been a member of the Oxford University Centre for Criminology.
Sam Lincoln	ex-regulator	Chief Surveillance Inspector working in the Office of the Surveillance Commissioners 2006 – 2013. Now a professional trainer with Act Now Training 'to develop an online training module for front line staff on covert surveillance and RIPA.' His background is described as: Sam has a unique perspective on covert surveillance law and practice. During 28 years commissioned service, he served for 18 years in military intelligence in staff, operational command and training appointments many in the covert domain. Sam’s relevant other work experience includes: Commanding Officer, Defence Human Intelligence training school Editor of the OSC Procedures and Guidance publication Speaker (often keynote) at national and local RIPA conferences Visiting lecturer College of Policing RIPA Authorising Officer course International trainer and consultant, Danish Emergency Management Agency Design and delivery of the European Commission civil protection information management and security courses
Maria Conroy	Crown Prosecution Service
Simon McKay	barrister	Specialist in covert policing law. Author of Covert Policing: Law and Practice, 2011. Also runs the Covert Policing Law blog.
John Beggs	barrister	Of Serjeants' Inn Chambers (joint head). It was noted in a response to a Freedom of Information request of made in 2015, that John Beggs was listed as a member of the NUSP. It is not known to what extent he has attended, though it is presumed he is the barrister from Serjeants' Inn Chamber referenced as being invited to the first meeting of the NUSP. In 2014 Beggs was suggested by Jon Murphy as the 'independent legal advisor' for the National Undercover Oversight Board - Focus Group (separate to the NUSP which is referred to in the National Undercover Oversight Board - Advisory Group). Beggs, a former outspoken animal rights activist in the 1980s, is a prominent barrister noted for representing police in court cases, including high profile hearings such as the Hillsborough and Deepcut inquests, as well as in the Fairford Coaches case.

Note on disclosure

According to the FOIA response letter, one individual explicitly refused consent on having their details released to the public following the October meeting. In the letter, it noted a concern by Alex Marshall, that there would be 'potential personal impact that any association [with the panel] may cause'; and 'more that the College have recognised the potential personal impact that any disclosure [of individual participants' names] may cause to the panel members and that this may lead to unwarranted intrusion into their personal lives'.

Connected police officers

As the list of police officers sitting on the National Undercover Scrutiny Panel shows, many of their careers overlapped at certain points in time. At first sight, there is nothing wrong with that: people specialise, they have specific qualities and climb the ladder. There are pros and cons on having so many insiders on a scrutiny panel, certainly when their presence is not in balance with outsiders. However, in our research and our efforts to map the staff responsible for the spying operations, we see the same names over and over again. What seems to emerge, is a network of police officers who had overview of undercover policing directed towards political protest and family justice campaigns.

College of Policing - Board of Directors

A number of senior police figures significant in the context of undercover policing against family justice campaigns and 'domestic extremists' have a seat on the board of the College of Policing. In particular Sara Thornton, Peter Fahy and Denis O'Connor.

Thornton and Fahy are vice chairs of ACPO TAM where they had oversight of the national domestic extremism units which ran undercovers such as Mark Kennedy, 'Lynn Watson' and 'Marco Jacobs'. From 2002 to 2004 Fahy was Deputy Chief Constable of Surrey at the time O'Connor was Chief Constable there.

O'Connor, as head of HMIC, was partly responsible for the first report (in 2011) into undercover policing after the exposure of Mark Kennedy. Long before that, in 1998, he and Thornton had crucial roles during the Macpherson Inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence. O'Connor was a key member of Commissioner Paul Condon's team as an Assistant Commissioner and Sara Thornton was a member of the Lawrence Review Team, set up by the Commissioner to draft the Metropolitan Police's responses to the damning findings of the Inquiry.

Another member of the Lawrence Review Team was Richard Walton, the officer who had the controversial meeting with the undercover officer N81, spying on the Lawrence family. When the Ellison Review published its findings on this secret meeting, Walton - at that moment head of Counter-Terrorism Command and as such responsible for the oversight of current 'domestic extremism including undercover operations - was removed from his position and his case referred to the Independent Police Complaint Commission for further investigation. Not much later the Home Secretary would announce an Independent Inquiry into the undercover police scandal.

Other police officers of interest

• Bernard Hogan-Howe, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. Initial author of the first report by the HMIC into undercover policing in 2011, which had to be pulped in the wake of further revelations by The Gaurdian. At HMIC he served under the Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Denis O'Connor. While Chief Constable of Merseyside, his assistant constables included Jon Murphy and Pat Gallan.

• Patricia Gallan, was an assistant chief constable for the National Crime Squad where she worked with Jon Murphy. With Murphy, she moved to Merseyside Police where they were senior officers under Bernard Hogan-Howe. She subsequently continued to serve under Hogan-Howe when he became Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police as the Assistant Commissioner Specialist Operations. Hogan-Howe asked her to set up Operation Soisson to investigate the allegations around the Special Demonstration Squad internally. Soisson would later be renamed Operation Herne. Gallan was also Chair of the National Undercover Working Group until January 2013, stepping down because of her workload.

• Jon Murphy, Chief Constable of Merseyside, where he had served under Bernard Hogan-Howe. He was the Chief Constable Chris Green was staff officer to in 2012. It was Murphy who spoke out on behalf of ACPO as the Mark Kennedy undercover policing scandal broke in 2011.

Notes