Tranche 3 Phase 1 Evidential Hearings

The Tranche 3 Phase 1 hearings of the Undercover Policing Inquiry took place from 13 October 2024 to 17 December 2025 at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in central London. It began with three days of opening statements, heard from 13 to 15 October, with witness evidence beginning on 17 October.

Undercovers who gave evidence included HN16 James Thomson 'James Straven', HN16 James Thomson 'James Straven' James Thomson was an undercover SDS officer between 1997 and 2002. He used the cover name 'James Straven' whilst infiltrating Brixton Hunt Saboteurs and the Animal Liberation Front and is referred to by the UCPI as HN16. He had two sexual relationships whilst undercover. He also secured a second cover name, 'Kevin Crossland', an identity taken from a deceased child. Full page: HN16 James Thomson 'James Straven'  HN43 Peter Francis 'Pete Black' HN43 Peter Francis 'Pete Black' HN43 Peter Francis was a SDS undercover officer from September 1993 to September 1997. He is variously known as Pete Black, Peter Johnson and Pete Daley and infiltrated Youth Against Racism in Europe. As a whistleblower he revealed to The Guardian that he had been spying on Stephen Lawrence's family. Francis is a core participant in the Undercover Policing Inquiry. Full page: HN43 Peter Francis 'Pete Black'  and HN15 Mark Jenner 'Mark Cassidy'. HN15 Mark Jenner 'Mark Cassidy' HN15 Mark Jenner (cover name 'Mark Cassidy') was a SDS undercover officer who spied-upon the Colin Roach Centre, Anti-Fascist Action, Independent Working Class Association, Republican Forum and Red Action between 1995 and 2000. He had a long-term sexual relationship with 'Alison' in his cover identity. Full page: HN15 Mark Jenner 'Mark Cassidy'

Undercovers HN26 Christine Green, HN26 'Christine Green' HN26 'Christine Green' is the cover name of an undercover police officer who served with the Special Demonstration Squad. She infiltrated South and West London animal rights groups from early 1995 to late 1999. As well as being active in hunt saboteur groups, Green also took part in animal liberation actions and was arrested at least once. Green had a long-term sexual relationship with an activist, which continued long after her deployment ended. Full page: HN26 'Christine Green'  HN66 'Dave Jones' HN66/EN327 'Dave Jones' HN66/EN327 'Edward David Jones' was an undercover officer. He was called 'Dave Jones' by those he infiltrated, nicknamed 'Bob the Builder' or 'Edge' on occasion. He had two separate deployments, the first in 2000 for the National Public Order Intelligence Unit (NPOIU) when he targeted anarchist group the WOMBLES. The second was for the Special Demonstration Squad from 2005 to 2007, when he infiltrated London Rising Tide and the Camp for Climate Action at Drax (2006). Full page: HN66/EN327 'Dave Jones'  and HN60 'Dave Evans' HN60 'Dave Evans' HN60 'Dave Evans' was SDS undercover officer between 1998 to 2005 against the Socialist Workers Party, London Animal Action & Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty. He shared a flat with fellow undercover HN3 'Jason Bishop' and was arrested at the G8 in Scotland with him in 2005.  were not called by the Inquiry. Nor was HN81 'Dave Hagan', who was apparently too ill to attend. This led to complaints from a number of core participants who submitted that he ought to be summoned to give evidence, and a procedural hearing in relation to this on 3 November 2025. One manager, HN143 Dennis 'Ben' Gunn, HN143 Dennis 'Ben' Gunn HN143 Dennis 'Ben' Gunn was the Commander of the Metropolitan Police Special Branch between February 1988 and November 1990. Later Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire Constabulary where he oversaw the setting up of the National Extremism Tactical Co-ordination Unit (NETCU)  a holdover from Tranche 2, did give evidence, though the hearing for his fellow manager, HN587 Peter Phelan, was cancelled due to ill health.

Due to the prominence of some of the undercovers and the gravity of the accusations against them, much of their evidence took several days each. There was also vital testimony from a number of campaigners in relation to them, including women deceived into relationships. The targeting of justice campaigns, particularly that of Stephen Lawrence, received considerable attention as well. Another notable issue was Operation Lime Police operations A summary of police operation names and what they relate to. Full page: Police operations , a supposed gun-smuggling plot involving James Thomson. These hearings are the only ones in which a former spouse of an undercover officer has given evidence to date: this is 'S', the ex-wife of Mark Jenner.

The hearings also included multiple Restricted Reporting Orders (RROs) Reporting Restriction Orders Full page: Reporting Restriction Orders  to protect sensitive information about witnesses from wider dissemination. As a result, several hearings were not broadcast and were heard only by those who attended in person. For others, only audio evidence was broadcast.