Lawyer for women who say they were duped by undercover policemen and suffered emotional trauma criticises police chiefs

The BBC has picked up on the news of the legal action being brought by the group of eight women who say they were duped into forming long-term loving relationships with undercover policeman.

The BBC has broadcast an interview with Harriet Wistrich of London law firm Birnberg Peirce who is representing the women.

It seems as if the interview was done with BBC Radio Nottingham as the interviewer makes particular reference to Mark Kennedy. Kennedy, who infiltrated the environment movement for seven years, lived in Nottingham during his undercover deployment.

Wistrich tells the interviewer :"It is just not justified in any circumstances that taxpayers' money should be spent on police officers going in and forming relationships and having sex with women and duping them in order to gather information. It is just totally outside the bounds of a civilised society".

The interview can be heard here. The BBC usually takes down its interviews from its website after a week.

For more background on the legal action against police chiefs, there are two stories here and here, and a statement written by the women here.