Security Service was able to compile detailed files on members of legitimate protest groups infiltrated by undercover police officers
Thousands of surveillance reports compiled by undercover police officers who spied on political campaigners were routinely passed to MI5, documents obtained by the spycops inquiry have revealed.
Police sent undercover officers on long-term deployments to infiltrate mainly leftwing protest groups and gather enormous quantities of information about their political and personal activities.
It can now be revealed that most of those clandestine reports were sent to MI5, helping the Security Service to build up large files on peaceful protesters who were engaged in democratic protests for an array of causes.
Many of the reports were handed over at the height of cold war paranoia when MI5 and the police spies collaborated to monitor a large number of leftwing campaigners.
