Undercover police officer took part in release of mink from fur farm after infiltrating animal rights group

A female undercover police officer helped release thousands of mink from a fur farm after infiltrating a group of animal rights campaigners twenty years ago, Scotland Yard has admitted.

The incident which took place at Crow Hill Farm in Ringwood, Hampshire in August 1998, led to widespread environmental damage in the New Forest and resulted in the deaths of thousands of animals.

While the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) claimed responsibility for releasing the mink, and Hampshire Police undertook a lengthy investigation, nobody was ever charged.

The Metropolitan Police has now admitted that it was aware at the time that one of its undercover officers had been involved, but failed to share the information with their colleagues in the Hampshire force.

Christine Green - not her real name - who worked as an undercover officer with the controversial Special Demonstration Squad (SDS), infiltrated the ALF and London Animal Action between 1994 and 1999.

She was given permission by her police bosses to take part in the crime, because they believed maintaining her cover could help prevent further crime in the future.

Two years after the incident the female officer quit her job in order to pursue a relationship with animal rights campaigner, Tom Frampton.

A subsequent police inquiry into Ms Green’s conduct, which reported two years ago, determined there was not enough evidence to charge her with any crime.

But Scotland Yard has now acknowledged that it had been wrong to allow Ms Green to take part in the action and then keep the matter from their colleagues in Hampshire.  

The revelation emerged after the ongoing inquiry into undercover policing published details of the officer's assumed identity, although her real name will not be released.

Around 6,000 mink, that were being bred for their pelts, were set free from their cages, as part of the militant campaign against the fur trade.

The animals flooded neighbouring properties in the New Forest where they caused havoc, attacking pets and livestock.

Hundreds of the mink ended up being destroyed by local farmers and many more starved to death.

Environmental experts said the release had a devastating impact on the ecosystem of the New Forest area and its effects were felt for many years.

Scotland Yard confirmed they had apologised to Hampshire Police in 2014 for not sharing the information with them at the time, but insisted the same situation could not arise today.

Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball, who in charge of Professionalism at the Met, said: "The Metropolitan Police Service has apologised to Hampshire Constabulary for the impact these decisions had on their ability to bring those responsible to justice.

She went on: "It appears that the SDS allowed this incident to go ahead, as they saw it, in the interests of preventing more serious crime in the longer term.

"The scale of the release was unforeseen by the SDS at the time, but once the impact became clear they still did not inform Hampshire Constabulary of the officer's involvement.

"I do understand that this decision making from 20 years ago will cause significant concern to the public, especially those people directly affected by the events in 1998. The MPS will be honest about our past and accept criticism where it is due."