ITV is about to do a ‘Mr Bates vs the Post Office’ on the Spycops scandal

A gripping three-part documentary series for ITV1 and ITVX: The Undercover Police Scandal: Love and Lies Exposed – to be broadcast on 6, 13, and 20 March – is based on the book Deep Deception by founder members of Police Spies Out Of Lives. It will explore the story behind the now-infamous Spycops scandal, from the point of view of some of the survivors.

The Undercover Police Scandal: Love and Lies Exposed

Five women who were deceived and blew the lid off this scandal, have entrusted ITV, makers of the award-winning drama series Mr Bates Vs the Post Office, to expose how they turned detective to uncover one of the state’s biggest secrets.

Speaking together on camera for the first time (some of them disguised with wigs and make-up to protect their anonymity) they explain the disturbing similarities between their experiences and how they brought the scandal to public attention: from the way the women were seduced into these relationships, to the almost identical letters they received when they were abandoned – and ghosted – by the men they loved.

The women featured in the documentary have been working together to expose this policing scandal since we first met in 2011.

They said in a joint statement:

Our lives were devastated by the actions of undercover police and this powerful three-part series highlights how we fought back against dehumanising spycops intrusion and abuse, which was sanctioned by the state for decades to undermine progressive campaigns for change.

By shining a light on the role of these undemocratic, secret, political policing units, we hope the programmes contribute to a dramatic shift away from the culture of misogyny that the police and security services have normalised and puts pressure on decision makers to reverse the current legislation that places undercover officers completely beyond the law.

From All3Media production company RAW, The Undercover Police Scandal: Love and Lies Exposed features privileged access to the Guardian journalists who, alongside survivors at the heart of this scandal, broke the story.

Creating a culture shift

Together, they exposed the vast, systemic scale of this 40-year undercover policing operation and unearthed the chilling ‘Tradecraft Manual’ the cops created to guide their abhorrent behaviour. Ultimately, this story is ongoing with a fight for truth and justice that reaches into the present day.

Alison, one of the women who exposed the scandal, said:

We hope that this contributes to a shift in the culture, a shift away from misogyny and sexism that’s been institutionalised in the police. We hope it makes some change, because that is why we got involved in this in the first place.

Rebecca North, Executive Producer at RAW, said:

This is an inspirational, empowering story about women who refused to go away quietly, instead using their ingenuity and tenacity to expose the lies they’d been told by the men they loved, leading to a David vs Goliath battle with the Metropolitan Police. We hope it brings awareness to the scandal.

Jo Clinton-Davis, Controller of Factual ITV said:

When I first learnt about this story, I was determined it needed to be made for a TV audience – and made for ITV. That these five women finally agreed to give ITV and RAW up close and personal access is testament to their courage and resilience. They have been up against a state sponsored operation and with many of them turning detective, such a twist in the story could be the stuff of a thriller – except this is all too shockingly true. Another British scandal of major importance.

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