Jack Dromey MP, Labour’s Shadow Policing Minister, ahead of the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime & Policing Bill returning to the House of Commons on Monday, said:

“There is an overwhelming case for serious reform to the oversight of undercover police operations.

“They can be vitally important, but it is clear there have been instances of appalling abuses of trust by undercover officers.

“Allegations that rather than pursuing justice for the family of a murdered young man, police spied on the Lawrence family allegedly to smear the family’s name. Identities of dead children used as cover identities – unbeknown to the child’s family.

“These cases were clearly not justified or proportionate. That’s why Labour is setting out changes in how undercover operations are authorised and how they are independently monitored.

“There is now a strong case for independent pre-authorisation especially for long term covert operations. And there also needs to be independent oversight and rolling scrutiny of long term operations – not just a paper based exercise – by an independent body.”