New call for a Scottish Government inquiry into undercover police operations

Scottish justice secretary  Michael Matheson wrote to the Home Office  in December asking it to confirm that the Pitchford Inquiry will look at "any activity in Scotland conducted by English and Welsh forces".

It follows allegations in some newspapers that some officers spied on activists during the 2005 G8 summit at Gleneagles, Perthshire.

But Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokeswoman Alison McInnes says a similar inquiry should be commissioned by the Scottish Government into the alleged actions of those officers who worked in Scotland.

It came as one MSP questioned what the chief constable of Police Scotland knew about the actions of undercover police when he worked for the Metropolitan Police.

MSPs were debating the behaviour of undercover police as part of a members' debate at Holyrood.

Phil Gormley, who was sworn in as chief constable of Police Scotland this week, was in charge of the Met’s Special Branch, which had responsibility for the disgraced Special Demonstration Squad (SDS).

Phil Gormley

He said he knew "nothing at all" of the allegations at the time.

The Pitchford inquiry was set up in July after a slew of revelations about officers spying on left-wing, environmental and animal rights activists.

Several undercover cops had sexual relationships with the women they were spying on and one even fathered a child while concealing his true identity.

The Metropolitan Police in November made an “unreserved apology” and agreed to compensate even women who were deceived into having relationships by officers - behaviour the force now admits was “unacceptable” and “a violation of the women’s human rights”.

The inquiry remit does not currently cover Scotland, being formally set out "to inquire into and report on undercover police operations conducted by English and Welsh police forces in England and Wales since 1968".

Ms McInnes said: “The allegations that have been made against the officers in question are serious and the revelations have resulted in serious emotional trauma for those who feel duped by them.

“The police-public interaction in these circumstances has shocked us all, it is the kind of behaviour that transgresses professional and moral boundaries and flies in the face of common decency. It is in fact the kind of behaviour that threatens the very legitimacy of policing.

“The Scottish Government has said it is supportive of widening the Pitchford enquiry to include activities in Scotland, but does not believe that there should be a separate Scottish inquiry.

"Citizens are entitled to expect the highest standards of policing and rightly expect that there should be clear justification and authorisation of any clandestine policing. Equally those officers engaged in undercover policing should be carefully regulated and trained and regularly assessed.

“Can we guarantee that has always been in place in Scotland? Is it in place now? We don’t know, and that is why an open and unflinching examination of the extent of undercover policing past and present and its governance and oversight here in Scotland is necessary - to learn lessons and establish clear terms of engagement.

Community safety and legal affairs minister Paul Wheelhouse said he was not aware of evidence that Scottish officers authorised those involved in the inquiry.

He agreed that the Pitchford Inquiry should be extended to include any activity by Met Police units in Scotland, but said the use of undercover officers by the Scottish force was "very different" to that elsewhere.

The Scottish Government was approached for comment.