The Undercover Police Scandal true story that inspired ITV series

The synopsis reads: "Speaking together on camera for the first time, the creepy similarities between the women’s experiences come to light: from the way they were seduced into their relationships, to the almost identical letters they received when they were abandoned – and ghosted – by the men they loved.

"They reveal how they discovered police officers stole the identities of deceased children to create new aliases and even fathered children with the women they spied upon whilst undercover."

Read on for more information about the 'spycops' scandal and the subsequent inquiry.

What is the 'spycops' scandal?

Dating back to as far as 1968, the police ran an undercover operation in which they monitored predominantly left-wing political groups and activists.

Officers who were part of the now-disbanded National Public Order Intelligence Unit and the Metropolitan Police's Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) were given false identities and some lived with and had sexual relationships with members of the political groups they had infiltrated.

The false identities were taken from dead children, which former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe apologised for in 2013.

The undercover officers infiltrated groups like the Socialist Workers Party, as well as animal rights and anti-racist groups.

In 2010, a woman named Lisa (changed for anonymity) discovered a passport belonging to her boyfriend who went by the name of Mark Stone. As dissected in the documentary, she found her boyfriend's photo but under the name Mark Kennedy.

After further inspection, she discovered that Mark wasn't who he said he was, and rather was an undercover police officer with two children.

This story and multiple others are shared in the documentary, with each woman detailing how they discovered they had been deceived for years.

You can learn more about their stories on the official website of their campaign, Police Spies Out of Lives.

As per the documentary, the four undercover officers featured were invited to respond to the claims about them. The two who replied said they would not be responding to the programme because they were cooperating with the undercover police inquiry, which they considered was the appropriate place to respond.

On behalf of the Metropolitan Police, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jon Savell said: "It would be inappropriate to comment on some of the issues raise as there is evidence yet to be heard by the undercover policing inquiry with which we are fully cooperating.

"However, I'd like to apologise unreservedly for the significant harm and distress caused to the women who were deceived into sexual relationships by undercover officers. These were abusive, deceitful, manipulative and wrong.

"The Met failed to make clear to undercover officers and their managers in the 1980s that such relationships were unacceptable or provide training and guidance."

He continued: "I would also like to apologise for the profound hurt caused to the families of deceased children whose identities were used by undercover officers. The SDS stopped this practice in the mid-1990s, it is not used by the Met today and will never be used by the Met again.

"Undercover policing has undergone significant reform since this happened and today is underpinned by strong governance and oversight with clear ethical guidelines and a legislative framework."

What is the Undercover Policing Inquiry?

In 2015, the-then Home Secretary Theresa May ordered a public inquiry into undercover policing in England and Wales.

The inquiry examines the Special Demonstration Squad and the National Public Order Intelligence Unit, looking at allegations that its officers infiltrated activist groups and deceived women into intimate relationships.

The inquiry is ongoing and has yet to deliver its final report. You can follow its progress on ucpi.org.uk.

The Undercover Police Scandal: Love and Lies Exposed airs on Thursday 6th March at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

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