Met spy admits relationship was 'open secret'

"A former Met Police undercover officer has admitted his behaviour while spying on left-wing activists in London in the mid 1990s was "cruel" and "accepted" by his superiors. Mark Jenner, whose cover name was Mark Cassidy, worked in a covert unit called the Special Demonstration Squad (SDS), which is now being reviewed as part of the Undercover Policing Inquiry (UPCI). While working for the SDS, Mr Jenner had a five-year sexual relationship with a school teacher known as Alison who he was monitoring,"

"He enjoyed holidays to places such as Thailand and Amsterdam with her, paid for using money from the bank account he shared with his wife. He also visited homes of Alison's family and friends. She had no idea he was a police officer. His wife, known as S, previously told the inquiry she agreed to his undercover work, but had no idea about his sexual relationship with another woman as he returned home five days a week."

Mark Jenner, operating under the cover name Mark Cassidy in the Special Demonstration Squad, infiltrated left-wing groups in mid-1990s London. He entered a five-year sexual relationship with a schoolteacher he was assigned to monitor, moved into her flat, and attended family events and holidays to maintain cover. He financed trips using a joint bank account with his wife and concealed his role from the woman he monitored. His wife, known as S, believed his work involved infiltrating terrorists and supported his deployment while unaware of the intimate relationship. Jenner described the work as a constant strain and said he tried to blank it out.

Read at www.bbc.com