Peterborough spy cop ‘groomed’ activist, Undercover Policing Inquiry told

A spy cop who is now a Peterborough councillor “groomed” a teenage animal rights activist, the Undercover Policing Inquiry has been told.
Andy ColesAndy Coles
Andy Coles

Andy Coles, a Conservative city councillor representing Fletton and Woodston, has strenuously denied allegations made against him by a woman known as ‘Jessica’ who claims she was deceived into having a relationship with the undercover officer when she was 19, in the early 1990s.

However, an opening statement submitted to the inquiry on behalf of Jessica - who is a ‘core participant’ - outlines the way he is alleged to have deceived her into a long-term relationship under the pseudonym ‘Andy Davey’, as well as lying about his age.

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The inquiry’s purpose is to investigate and report on undercover police operations conducted by police forces in England and Wales since 1968.

It will examine the contribution undercover policing has made to tackling crime, how it was and is supervised and regulated, and its effect on individuals involved – both police officers and others who came into contact with them.

Mr Coles has been named by the inquiry as having been deployed between 1991 and 1995 in animal rights groups. He is due to give evidence at a later date, although no timeframe has been given.

Mr Coles is known to have been the original author of the Tradecraft Manual which advised Special Demonstration Squad undercover officers on how to conduct their deployment and avoid the suspicions of activists they were infiltrating.

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Mr Coles’ past as an undercover officer was inadvertently revealed by his brother, the broadcaster and former pop star Reverend Richard Coles, in his 2014 autobiography.

Jessica’s Statement

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According to the statement published on the inquiry’s official website, ‘Jessica’ met ‘Andy Davey’ in 1992 when she was 19.

It is stated: “They were both involved in London Boots Animal Action demonstrations. Andy was known as ‘Andy Van’ because he drove a white transit van and often gave lifts to activists attending demonstrations.”

Andy Davey was said to be a regular visitor to a shared house where Jessica lived with other animal rights activists, while claiming to be 24 years old.

Outlining how the alleged relationship is said to have begun, the statement continues: “One day when Andy was visiting, he and Jessica ended up sitting alone on a bed watching a movie. Without warning Andy kissed her. Jessica was surprised and confused as it was so unexpected and she was not attracted to him.

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“She did not know how to respond and did not feel confident enough to tell him that it was not wanted.”

It is then alleged that Andy Davey continued to visit the house and that a romantic relationship did then begin.

It is claimed that he would spend a couple of nights a week at Jessica’s house and even, on occasions, visit her parents’ house with her.

Andy Davey, who was Jessica’s first boyfriend, is said to have told her that he had a two-year-old daughter called Sophie and that he was separated from her mother and not allowed to see his child.

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The relationship between the pair continued until August 1993 - including a spell when Jessica was working in France - until she is said to have ended it in August 1993 after meeting someone new.

It is claimed the pair remained friends until sometime in 1994 when they lost contact with each other.

However, it is stated: “In around February 2017 Jessica learnt that Andy had been an undercover police officer when she re-connected with an old friend from the animal rights movement.

“The friend linked her into a Facebook group on which Jessica saw photographs of Andy and realised that he had been a UCO, whose real name is Andy Coles.”

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It is also stated that at this time Jessica discovered Mr Coles had actually been 32 and not 24 when their relationship began and that he was married at the time.

The statement adds: “The discovery that Andy was a UCO has had a significant traumatic impact on Jessica. She believes that she was groomed by him and that he deliberately targeted her due to her young age and naivety.”

Background

Mr Coles was previously the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire but resigned when the allegations about his spy cops past first surfaced in May 2017.

At the time he said the coverage was “significantly impacting” on his ability to carry out the role.

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He has also publicly denied allegations against him made by Jessica, describing them as “lurid,” and stated that both the Independent Police Complaints Commission and Met Police have told him that he faced “no charges or any further investigation into her allegations”.

He previously stated: “Animal Rights extremists are notorious for the intimidation and bullying of people they disagree with. I am a democratically elected representative for the people of Fletton and Woodston and I will continue to fulfil my duties as a councillor to the best of my ability and to act on their behalf to resolve problems despite ongoing protests by the extremists.”

Those protests took place inside and outside of Peterborough Town Hall with one Full Council meeting even being postponed due to disruption caused by the protesters in the public gallery, which was subsequently closed while a barrier was put in.