Child spies used only when very necessary, says Downing Street

Downing Street has defended the use of child spies by British police and intelligence agencies in operations against terrorists, gangs and drug dealers, saying this happened very rarely and only when it was considered vital to do so.

The comments by Theresa May’s spokeswoman came after a House of Lords committee revealed the practice and also raised the alarm that the government planned to give law enforcement bodies more freedom over the use of children.

Some of the child spies are under 16, the committee said, adding that it was worried about proposals to extend from one month to four the period of time between each occasion child spies go through a reregistration process.

Asked about the committee’s concerns, May’s spokeswoman said: “Juvenile covert human intelligence sources are used very rarely, and they’re only used when it is very necessary and proportionate, for example helping to prevent gang violence, drug dealing and the ‘county lines’ phenomenon. The use is governed by a very strict legal framework.”

www.theguardian.com...

There is a young adult book series called Alex Rider which is about MI6 employing a child spy and in the process turned him into a teenage version of James Bond. After reading this article, it seems to me there is some truth to the book series.

Any Brits wanna chime in?

I would hate to see there definition of "necessary"

a reply to: starwarsisreal

Sounds like some Game of Thrones $h!t going on there.

Want some government candy little one?

WTF??

Where do they get these... spies...? Are they pressed into service, via threats at parents, are they orphan/ foster/ wards of the government?

This has to be satire, right? This couldn't possibly be true...unless..mkultra style mind conditioning is going on.

a reply to: starwarsisreal

Juvenile covert human intelligence sources

Don't you just love the way they talk.

They've been doing it for years , when my daughter was in junior school she came home one day and told us that her teacher had been asking quesions about their parents smoking habits , do they roll their own , are the cigarettes bigger than normal ones and do they smell funny , that was about 20 years ago.


She didn't snitch.

and also raised the alarm that the government planned to give law enforcement bodies more freedom over the use of children.

Theresa May was a nasty piece of work when she was Home Secretary , old habits die hard.
Sooner the Tories find some backbone and get rid of her the better for all of us.

a reply to: starwarsisreal

I am gonna guess its something along the lines of when they catch someone with known links to a gang that they pressurize them with some sort of plea deal, it all sounds wrong though, using someone who has already been inducted into a gang by inducting them into another, that will surley leave that child with no one they can actually trust, who is helping these children actually break the cycle, offer a way out to them, inspire them to change, hell they are under 16 they still have a chance of being a decent adult.

Crime can surely not be that hard to resolve that we need to use children, put more money back into the police force, employ more adult officers

side note though regarding the "youth" in the UK this article suggests that more kids are staying clean of drugs and crime

'Generation Sensible' in five charts

Or is it less are being caught?

It’s against terrorists, gangs and drug dealers

lot of young kids are used to be mules for drugs these days

a reply to: Whereismypassword

It’s against terrorists, gangs and drug dealers

That's what they always say , it's still no excuse for using children against their parents .... perhaps they should do some good old fashioned police work if they want to improve their appalling detection figures.

Big Brother needs to pull it's neck in.

originally posted by: wylekat
Where do they get these... spies...? Are they pressed into service, via threats at parents, are they orphan/ foster/ wards of the government?

I have to imagine a large part of it is threats that they'll be taken away from their parents if they don't cooperate.

a reply to: gortex

This is do do with the drugs, and its wrong that when they catch a youngster they are using them to bring in the ring leaders

When they are caught they should be taken out of harms way not sent back for potentially fatal risks

a reply to: starwarsisreal

Profoundly stupid in my opinion.

Wow.

i struggle to find words. And the government tries to justify it with "only when necessary". LOL

Assholes.

a reply to: wylekat

no I think it is more like zogg

little golden book about zogg

a reply to: starwarsisreal

All I will say about this matter, is that it is just another in a long list of reasons why I have no confidence in my government (to corral, control, and over see the intelligence community), and nothing but the deepest loathing for the intelligence services as they stand today.

Starting proxy armies, using its assets against the people of this country and with no respect to their privacy, and thousands of other specific elements to the argument to see these traitorous dogs thrown on the scrap heap of history, are now joined by the willingness of intelligence figures to EVER use a child for ANY reason. There is NO necessary, it is ALWAYS WRONG!

well in a sick twisted way...

The govt is thinking of the children in at least one way..

Also just going to toss out there... I am not throwing stones, I have no doubt every other nation has done so at some point and time.

Still rather nauseated by the thought..