watch out - informers at work

Above: The number of CCTV cameras is worrying, but even more insidious is the fact that the number of paid police informers has increased so much that it is having an impact on the unemployment figures. The 'industry' has expanded rapidly in the last few years, and now employs thousands of people in London alone.

They are paid to go to political meetings and demonstrations, and write reports about people they get to know.

Many of these people are druggie loser types who have run into trouble with the law and are offered an easy way out - inform on their 'friends'. They get paid £100-150 a week, but are also allowed to claim benefits. However, with the benefits, the informer fees and a bit of drug dealing on the side, some are making so much money that they have problems explaining their new found wealth.

To solve this problem many are fixed up with spurious 'cover' jobs working for government social services - ie housing advice etc. There is the added bonus for the authorities that with so many 'jobs' being created, it makes the employment figures better.

Some informers are also being 'promoted' to full time employment which involves joining campaigns as 'unpaid' volunteers - and trying the screw them up as much as possible.

Meanwhile council tax payers are contributing to the payment of 'research fees' paid by the police to known drug dealers who are kept in businesss and even given protection, in return for supplying information on other drug dealers and drug users.

• The secretary of CND during the Cold War period was a government spy who collected the names of every single person who joined the organisation.

• The so called 'anarchist' (more like nazi) group 'Class War' was infiltrated by a full time Special Branch officer, who being the only competent member of the organisation ended up more or less running the show. When he finally left - 'Class War' virtually collapsed.

• Big companies like Mac Donalds and Beechams pay large sums for lists of the names of campaigners - and then employ Private Detectives to watch the main ring leaders. The Private Detectives pay informers for any personal details they can use.

Tomorrow: How to spot an informer.