Managers turned a blind eye to ‘gross and offensive’ comments, says former undercover police officer
By Rob Evans, May 7, 2021
A former undercover police officer has told a public inquiry that his colleagues made “gross and offensive” jokes about the women they were deceiving into having sexual relationships.
The officer, Graham Coates, said the jokes and banter were said in the presence of managers who knew about the relationships but deliberately turned a blind eye.
He said the attitude among the officers to the relationships “could best be summed up as “good on you”, “well done”, “go for it”.”
Coates is the first undercover officer who has testified to the inquiry that the managers of the police spies knew they were forming relationships with women during their deployments.
