Two Met officers running spycops unit were ‘incredibly racist’, inquiry told

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Rob EvansDecember 1, 2025 at 04:48 PM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

A public inquiry heard testimony from whistleblower Peter Francis, a former undercover officer, alleging that two senior officers who supervised a Scotland Yard unit spying on political campaigns were overtly racist. Francis stated that one officer, Det Ch Supt Robert Potter, regularly used racial slurs when discussing black justice campaigns. The inquiry, launched in 2014 after Francis revealed the unit's surveillance of the Stephen Lawrence family's campaign, is investigating why undercover officers collected information on the Lawrences and their supporters. Francis, who infiltrated anti-racist and left-wing groups in the 1990s, also described a culture of "racist banter" within the special demonstration squad (SDS). The inquiry is examining the activities of approximately 139 undercover officers who spied on activists between 1968 and at least 2010.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Scotland Yard ×240% Metropolitan police ×350% Doreen Lawrence ×260% Neville Lawrence ×260% Stephen Lawrence ×370% Peter Francis ×480%

Keywords

racism 90% undercover policing 80% spycops inquiry 80% special demonstration squad 70% metropolitan police 70% peter francis 60% police misconduct 60% stephen lawrence 60% covert operations 50% institutional racism 40%