A public inquiry into the conduct of undercover police officers has been told that two senior Metropolitan Police supervisors overseeing covert operations were "horribly and incredibly" racist. The explosive testimony came from whistleblower Peter Francis, a former member of the secretive Special Demonstration Squad (SDS).
Shocking Allegations of Systemic Racism
Peter Francis, who infiltrated anti-racist and leftwing groups between 1993 and 1997, gave evidence over four days to the inquiry chaired by retired judge Sir John Mitting. He stated that one senior officer, Detective Chief Superintendent Robert Potter, regularly used the "N-word" when discussing Black justice campaigns. Potter, nicknamed "Potty Bob", allegedly emphasised the importance of stopping these campaigns using explicitly racist language.
Francis described the entire Special Branch, the division that directed the SDS, as "100% racist" in its attitude towards the family of Stephen Lawrence. The unit spied on Doreen and Neville Lawrence as they campaigned for a proper investigation into their son's 1993 murder. Francis claimed the police viewed the family as incapable of running their own campaign, believing they "must be being led by someone else".
The inquiry, established in 2014 after Francis's revelations to the Guardian, is examining why the SDS collected information on the Lawrences and their supporters. The Met has since apologised for this surveillance.
Anonymous Commander and a Culture of Prejudice
Francis also implicated the head of the SDS during part of his deployment, an officer granted anonymity by the inquiry and known only as HN86. He described this detective chief inspector as "incredibly racist". According to Francis, HN86 held the view that Black justice campaigners were unable to think for themselves and were being manipulated by radical leftwing groups.
He alleged HN86 used "extremely racist" terms, referring to campaigners as "monkeys" who were "led by the ring through their noses". This prejudice reportedly extended to the unit's sole Black officer at the time, Trevor Morris. Francis claimed HN86 distrusted Morris because he was "one of them", suggesting he might not pass on information or could have "gone over" to the side of the campaigners.
Both accused officers have denied the allegations. Robert Potter is now deceased, while HN86 is taking legal action that could prevent him from being questioned by the inquiry.
The Scale of the Spycops Scandal
The Undercover Policing Inquiry is investigating the actions of officers who spied on more than 1,000 political groups from 1968 until at least 2010. Approximately 139 undercover officers monitored tens of thousands of predominantly leftwing activists during this period.
Peter Francis remains the only former SDS officer to have blown the whistle on the unit's covert activities. His testimony details a culture where "racist banter" was commonplace among undercover operatives. The inquiry continues to unpack the full extent of misconduct within a unit that effectively vanished into the undercover world.
Francis's claims about some anti-racist campaigners being involved in violent confrontations have been contested by the activists themselves, who accuse him of fabrication and exaggeration.
