POLICE have admitted it was “common practice” for undercover officers to adopt the identities of dead children for aliases in the 1980s – but said they had no idea exactly how many times the sick tactic was used.
Despite a number of requests from relatives of dead children, Chief Constable Mick Creedon said none of the people affected had been told yet.
He also admitted no arrests had been made and no officers faced disciplinary proceedings.
The Derbyshire police boss said: “No families of children whose identities have been used have been contacted and informed.
“No answer either positive or negative has yet been given in relation to these inquiries from families.”
Commenting on the continuing Operation Herne investigation, he said the issue is “very complicated and mistakes could put lives in jeopardy”.
Keith Vaz MP, Home Affairs Select Committee chairman, has demanded all affected families be contacted immediately.
Operation Herne – a probe into undercover policing by the Metropolitan Police’s Special Demonstrations Squad – was set up after PC Mark Kennedy posed as an environmental protestor and had a sexual relationship with an activist.
A number of men and women are suing the Met over alleged intimate relationships with undercover cops.
The investigation, which has 23 officers and ten police staff working on it, has so far cost £1.25million and is expected to cost a further £1.66million over the next year.
By KAREN MORRISON
Published: 17th May 2013
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