A man who infiltrated some of Liverpool's most dangerous criminals has revealed what it takes to become a "rat".
David Taylor, not his real name, spent more than a year working covertly to target serious criminals involved in drug smuggling in Liverpool. In a rare interview with The Guardian, he reveals how he created a cover story to go undercover on an operation infiltrating a network of criminals in Liverpool.
Mr Taylor started undercover work in the 1990s catching dealers by posing as a buyer. But the work became more intense after moving to Liverpool in 2003, when he became an "employee" at a fake business run by covert police officers.
READ MORE: Drug kingpin bought and sold millions of pounds of cocaine across the world
He became friendly with a long-term criminal - before gradually using the contact to move slowly into the criminal world. As part of the operation, the undercover officers collected evidence, including videos showing the involvement of 20 suspected criminals in offences including supplying cocaine and ecstasy.
In The Guardian interview, Mr Taylor recalls one of his most chilling undercover interactions. While discussing plans to smuggle drugs worth thousands of pounds into Britain from the Netherlands, one of the criminals described what he would do if he discovered an informer within their ranks.
The man, who Mr Taylor knew had killed before, told the group: "There's only one way to deal with a rat - put it down there and then. You can cut its throat and you put it down. You don't have tears in your eyes when you've done it. They're f****** vermin. F****** kill it."
Earlier this year the ECHO covered the story of how Hope Not Hate used an informant to bring down a far-right terror plot. Matthew Collins described how he worked as a handler for Widnes man Robbie Mullen to dismantle National Action and stop a terror plot against MP Rosie Cooper.
Although they were not the police, the pair's actions helped bring the conviction of Jack Renshaw. The almost unbelievable story was recently made into the hit ITV drama The Walk In, starring Stephen Graham.
Mr Collins described the risks that working as an informant posed for himself and Mr Mullen. He told the ECHO : "Coming to us, he made the decision that he was separate to the others. You probably will never find friends as close as those on the far right, but you'll never find friends as dangerous either.
"He was told by National Action if someone was found passing information to the police they would be beaten. But if someone was passing information to Hope not Hate, they would be killed. He knew the risk he was taking by coming to us."
Unlike undercover police, whose actions are protected from prosecution if their supervisors have given them prior approval to become involved in specific offences, Robbie Mullen was still at risk of "substantial jail time". Counter terrorism lifted Renshaw - but for a conviction to stick, they needed their star witness - Mr Mullen.
Mr Collins told the ECHO : "We always protect our sources, it's the very least we can do, but the situation had now changed. Robbie would have to give evidence. We had to guarantee he had immunity from prosecution because being a member of the organisation has subsequently been proven to land you a substantial prison sentence.
"We had to get him immunity but the idea wasn't entertained for months. We almost sent ourselves bankrupt hiding Robbie. Eventually, he was granted immunity from prosecution."
As Mr Collins told the Mirror, the consequences of being undercover can be profound. He said: "National Action meant the world to Robbie. We ripped it out of him. He was never able to see his friends again. He had to move house. He was thrust into the spotlight in a way he never wanted."
Mr Taylor told The Guardian how human relationships are at the heart of undercover work. Talking about social lives, sport or news events are what he would speak about most of the time with the criminal he was tasked with bringing down. He said: "I would go to his house sometimes and help his missus prepare a salad in the kitchen, just what normal people do. Except in the midst of this, they're doing illegal things."
But while Mr Collins and Mr Mullen helped bring down the far-right terror plot - Mr Taylor was taken off his operation for allegedly breaking rules six times. But Mr Taylor told The Guardian he thinks the police were trying to cover up an incident where officers incorrectly claimed authorisation was given for him to be present at a drugs importation.
Merseyside Police maintained that “there was no tangible evidence provided that would support” his claims. The force told the Guardian that it “takes very seriously any allegations of corruption and impropriety on the part of its officers. All such allegations are investigated and if appropriate criminal and or misconduct proceedings are pursued.”
You can read The Guardian's piece in full here. You can also read the ECHO's article about how Mr Mullen and Mr Collins stopped the far-right terror plot here.
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