1,200 undercover police officers operating across England and Wales

There are more than 1,200 undercover police officers operating in 39 units across England and Wales the police watchdog has revealed for the first time, as it issued a damning criticism of senior officers responsible for the tactic.

The inspectors said that the “generally poor knowledge and lack of expertise of senior officers” was unacceptable and called for a root-and-branch reform of the secretive national group that oversees the deployment of undercover officers.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) warned that the shortcomings of the senior officers threatened to undermine a technique that it said was a valuable way of catching criminals .... http://www.theguardian.com