Credit cards, passports and ingenuity led to the identities of undercover police who were loved under false pretencesAt least 25 ‘spy cops’ had sex with deceived members of publicThe spy cops who deceived women into sexual relationsHelen Steel was in her 20s and deeply in love with a man who told her he would “like to spend the rest of his life” with her.She and John Barker had just moved into a new flat and would share long walks in the countryside, where they hoped to one day buy a cottage using money he had inherited. Continue reading...
The article details a police scandal where undercover officers, including John Dines, formed deceptive relationships with women like Helen Steel. At least 25 officers engaged in sexual relationships while hiding their identities. An ITV series, in collaboration with The Guardian, explores how women, including Steel, exposed the spies using innovative methods. Dines deceived Steel by feigning a mental breakdown to end his mission. Steel took 18 years to uncover his true identity. Another spy, Mark Kennedy, infiltrated environmental campaigners, sparking the 2011 scandal that revealed decades of covert operations and misconduct.
