Giving evidence to the undercover policing inquiry in London, Francis said the practice was considered “standard” within the SDS for nearly 30 years, as using the details of dead children ensured officers could obtain genuine birth certificates. He recalled being instructed by a senior officer to walk through graveyards looking for suitable names, describing the experience as “very odd” and morally troubling.
Francis said the unit showed “zero thought” for the families affected, and the method only stopped when St Catherine’s House shifted to a computerised records system. He also outlined a culture of criminal tolerance within the squad, claiming officers were advised that any offence up to actual bodily harm was acceptable in the course of their deployment.
The inquiry heard further allegations of racism within the unit. Francis said colleagues frequently made racist comments, including remarks targeting the family of Stephen Lawrence. He alleged that one senior officer, codenamed HN86, once said he wished Duwayne Brooks Lawrence’s friend had died instead, because he believed Brooks would have been easier to discredit.
Francis also described how family liaison officers took down the names of everyone visiting the Lawrence household, information that was passed to Special Branch and the SDS as part of a wider surveillance campaign.
The undercover policing inquiry, established ten years ago, continues.
