British undercover police are running a network of hundreds of informants inside protest organizations who secretly feed them intelligence in return for cash.
They claim to have infiltrated a number of environmental groups and said they were collecting information about leaders, tactics and demonstration plans.
The dramatic disclosures are revealed in almost three hours of secretly recorded discussions between covert officers claiming to be from Strathclyde police and an activist from the protest group Plane Stupid whom the officers attempted to recruit as a paid spy after she was released on bail following a demonstration at Aberdeen airport last month.
Matilda Gifford, 24, said she recorded the meetings to expose how police seek to disrupt the legitimate activities of climate change activists. She met the officers twice; they said they were a detective constable and his assistant.
During the taped discussions, the officers indicated that she could receive tens of thousands of pounds to pay off her student loans in return for information about individuals within Plane Stupid.
The officers also said they would not pay money directly into her bank account because that would leave an audit trail that would leave her compromised. They said the money would be tax-free and that British companies ?an afford more than 20 quid [US$29].?br />
The officers said in the recording that they realize Gifford is a legitimate protester, but they said her activities could mean she would struggle to find employment in the future and could lead to a criminal record.
The officers further said they had hundreds of informants feeding them information from protest organizations and ?ig groupings?from across the political spectrum.
They said spying could assist her if she were arrested again.
?eople would sell their soul to the devil,?one of the officers said.
They said she could be jailed alongside ?ard, evil?people if she received a custodial sentence.
The meetings took place at a Glasgow police station last month and in a supermarket cafe on Tuesday. Gifford used a cellphone and device sewn into her waistcoat to record what the officers called a ?usiness proposal?that she should think of as a job.
They intimated that in return for updates on Plane Stupid? plans, she could receive large sums of money in cash.
When lawyers acting for Plane Stupid contacted Strathclyde police this week to establish the identities of the detective constable, they were told by the human resources department that there was no record of his name.
But when the Guardian contacted the force, they conceded that officers had met Plane Stupid activists.
In a statement last night, Assistant Chief Constable George Hamilton said the force had ? responsibility to gather 虹ntelligence?and that such operations were conducted according to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA). The force would not comment on the identity of the officers.
?fficers from Strathclyde police have been in contact with a number of protesters who were involved with the Plane Stupid protests, including Aberdeen airport,?he said. ?he purpose of this contact has been to ensure that any future protest activity is carried out within the law and in a manner which respects the rights of all concerned.?br />
It is known that at national level, a confidential intelligence unit has been set up by the Association of Chief Police Officers with the power to operate across the UK, mount surveillance and run informers, with the intention of building up a detailed picture of ?omestic extremism.?br />
Gifford? lawyer, Patrick Campbell, said: ? have very considerable concerns about these events. There appears to be a covert operation that is running in some way with, or using, Strathclyde police? name. There appears to be a concerted effort to turn protesters to informants and possibly infiltrate peaceful protest movements.?br />
?he methods employed are disturbing, and more worrying yet is the lack of any clearly identifiable body responsible for this. These individuals seem to have some kind of police support or at the very least connections with the police ?the access to police stations confirms that ?but my concern is the lack of accountability and the threat to the individual and her right to protest.?br />
Gifford intended to meet the officers for a third time on Thursday, taking a lawyer with her. The officers did not appear at the rendezvous, but she said she was later approached by the detective constable, who told her he was disappointed in her and then got into a car, leaving Gifford feeling shaken and intimidated.
Gifford said the approach from the officers was ?n opportunity that fell out of the sky.?br />
?ecording them seemed like the obvious thing to do. I was keen to find out what they had to offer, what they wanted to find out, and feed that back to the group in case other members of Plane Stupid were approached,?she said.
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