Met Police spied on families campaigning for justice

Families of those campaigning for justice against the Metropolitan Police – such as the families of Cherry Groce, Ricky Reel and Jean Charles de Menezes – were spied on by undercover officers from the SDS (Special Demonstrations Squad) unit.

I understand at least 12 families have been contacted by the Metropolitan Police to say that they appear in reports and notes.

On Thursday, the Met will be criticised by Chief Constable Mick Creedon, who is conducting a review of the squad’s activities after Channel 4’s Dispatches revealed they spied upon the family of Stephen Lawrence.

He will say that neither the families nor their campaign were the target of undercover officers but that information about them was reported and retained, when it should have been weeded out.

The mother of Ricky Reel told me: “Rather than them helping us pick up the pieces trying to find out what happened to us they were spying on us. I don’t understand it, I just feel I’ve been stripped of my dignity… I feel really angry.”

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