Andy Coles
Andy Coles is a former English police officer and politician known for his undercover work in the 1990s and subsequent political career.[1]
Career
[edit]Between 1991 and 1995, Coles served as an undercover police officer infiltrating animal rights groups.[2] He used the cover name Andy Davey.[3] Following reference to his undercover work in an autobiography written by his brother Richard Coles, activists uncovered his true identity in 2017.[2][3] Coles wrote the Special Demonstration Squad Tradecraft Manual that was used by subsequent undercover officers, which advised on managing sexual relationships with those they were targeting and the use of dead children's names as cover identities.[4]
Coles was elected as a councillor for Peterborough City Council for the Conservative Party in 2015. The same year he became the Deputy Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner.[5][6]
He has been accused of engaging in a sexual relationship while undercover with a 19-year-old woman when he was 32. The woman did not know Coles' real identity.[1][2] Coles denies this relationship occurred but the Metropolitan police does not agree with this denial and has said if he was still a police officer he would face a disciplinary hearing.[1] Following this accusation in 2017, Coles resigned from his role as Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Evans, Rob (2024-12-15). "Spy cops scandal: 'creepy' officer formed sexual relationship with teen in 1990s". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
- ^ a b c Evans, Rob (2020-02-25). "Met upholds complaint of woman 'deceived' by undercover officer". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
- ^ a b Schlembach, Raphael (2024). Spycops: secrets and disclosure in the undercover policing inquiry. Bristol: Policy Press. pp. 40–41. ISBN 978-1-4473-6539-6.
- ^ "Police took 'squatters' rights' on dead children's identities". BBC. 2018-03-20. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
- ^ "Police boss told to resign over 'sexual manipulation'". The Times. 2017-05-14. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
- ^ Lamy, Joel (2020-05-01). "Husband pays moving tribute to Peterborough councillor who lost battle with coronavirus and cancer". Peterborough Telegraph. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
- ^ "Cambridgeshire's deputy PCC resigns over 'sex deceit' claim". BBC News. 2017-05-15. Retrieved 2024-12-19.