HN350 Paul Croyden was not a deployed undercover officer but the detective sergeant responsible for much of the administrative processing of SDS intelligence between July 1979 and August 1981.
In his testimony, Croyden outlines the procedures by which undercover officers' handwritten reports were edited, cross-referenced with Special Branch Registry files and MI5 files and disseminated. He characterised the SDS as a professional intelligence-gathering unit with a primary focus on public order. However, he also acknowledges that, alongside this focus, officers routinely collected extensive personal information on activists.
His statement also addresses the internal administration of the SDS, including the use of safe houses and welfare arrangements for undercover officers.
Croyden denied knowledge of misconduct such as sexual relationships, agent provocateur activity or reporting on politicians. This, despite substantial evidence in the Inquiry disclosure proving that all these controversial practices ran throughout the SDS’ history.
Croyden submitted a written statement on 20 October 2020. The profile below relies almost entirely on this statement. Unusually, no other Inquiry disclosure is associated with Croyden.
Paul Croyden joined the Metropolitan Police in January 1966 and transferred to Special Branch in November 1969.
Before joining the SDS, he served in Naturalisation Enquiries ('D' Squad), Research ('R' Squad), General Enquiries ('C' Squad), and at Heathrow Airport, where he was promoted to detective sergeant in June 1974. After leaving the SDS, he undertook protection duties before later serving on Irish 'B' Squad until his retirement in 1989.
Croyden first learned of the SDS through HN45 'Dave Robertson' , who described its undercover officers as the 'Hairies'.
He said Special Branch was sufficiently secretive that he did not ask questions about the unit's work and was unaware of its purpose before joining. He was approached by DI HN244 Angus McIntosh and accepted an administrative post collating undercover officers' reports.
Croyden replaced HN2152 Richard Scully as the SDS administrative detective sergeant.
He edited, corrected and processed undercover officers' handwritten reports, added Special Branch and Security Service reference numbers, arranged typing and dissemination, and retained duplicate copies in secure storage. He stated his role was 'purely administrative'.
He occasionally inserted an undercover officer's cover name into reports so that, if the Security Service had another source within the same organisation, it could distinguish between sources. He routinely added references for the MI5 (Personal File) system but maintained that he had no direct dealings with MI5.
The SDS moved from New Scotland Yard to Vincent Square during his posting. Meetings with undercover officers took place at two safe houses ('West' and 'South'). Croyden mainly attended to clarify reports or conduct welfare visits.
He travelled with HN307 Trevor Butler to Liverpool in 1981 to support officers deployed around Socialist Workers Party activity, and also attended the Torness nuclear protest in Scotland in support of HN155 ‘Phil Cooper’s deployment.
He stated that tasking came from the DI and DCI, not him. Undercover officers were expected to report on public order intelligence, organisations' future plans, and personal information, including names, addresses, and appearances, for Special Branch records. He said reports were disseminated by the DCI to Special Branch and, where public order was involved, to A8. Urgent intelligence was often relayed by telephone.
Croyden served under HN135 Mike Ferguson, HN218 Barry Moss (‘Barry Morris’ , HN307 Trevor Butler, HN244 Angus McIntosh and HN68 ‘Sean Lynch’, describing the management culture as professional, relaxed and sympathetic.
He stated that officers were instructed not to act as agent provocateurs or obtain positions of authority. He further claimed that, to his knowledge, none engaged in sexual relationships under cover, committed offences, were arrested, reported legally privileged material or reported on elected politicians. This response is at odds with substantial evidence to the contrary
He argued that the SDS significantly improved policing of demonstrations and supplied intelligence that MI5 could not have obtained by other means. He concluded that the unit's reputation had been damaged by 'the poor behaviour of a few officers'.
A statement not supported by either the significant number of former undercovers who indulged in various kinds of malpractice or the limited assistance that SDS provides to public order policing.
He left in August 1981 after declining Trevor Butler's request to remain because he did not wish to continue in an administrative role.