Inquiry live feed abruptly cut after former police officer says smearing people is ‘security service job’

A former police officer told an inquiry that “smearing people” is a “security service job” moments before the livestream was taken off air.

Former undercover police officer Trevor Morris – who infiltrated the Anti-Nazi League in east London, the Socialist Workers Party, and the Stephen Lawrence justice campaign in the 1990s – made the comments as he gave evidence to the Undercover Policing Inquiry on Thursday 1 August.

Mr Morris was asked about whether police had been asked to gather “intelligence with which to smear the Lawrence family”.

He told the inquiry that was not his job, adding “that is a security service job”.

The livefeed was cut moments after Mr Morris went on to say: “Sorry I shouldn’t say that. Let’s scrap that last bit.”