Hackney Activist Alison’s 5-Year Relationship with Undercover Cop Mark Jenner

Key Points

• Mark Jenner, an undercover police officer, formed a secret five-year intimate relationship with a Hackney woman, Alison, without revealing his true identity.
• Jenner lived with Alison for four years in her flat while undercover in the late 1990s.
• Jenner was deployed to infiltrate political campaign groups; Alison was a member of a leftwing group focused on anti-fascist and trade union causes.
• Jenner was already married with children during the relationship.
• Alison described Jenner’s behaviour as “manipulative” and said he showed “sadistic tendencies” by stringing her along about having children.
• Jenner claimed his motive was Alison’s landline phone and local contacts, a claim Alison strongly rejected as “complete nonsense.”
• Alison discovered Jenner’s presence years later via Facebook and contacted him seeking answers but found no remorse.
• Alison’s testimony was given at the Undercover Policing Inquiry (UCPI), which investigates police spying on political activists from 1968 to 2010.
• Alison is one of around 50 women deceived into intimate relationships by undercover officers.

What happened in the relationship between Alison and undercover officer Mark Jenner?

As reported by Jessica Elgot of The Guardian, Alison, a Hackney activist and member of a leftwing political group, was deceived into a five-year relationship with Mark Jenner, an undercover police officer deployed in the late 1990s. Jenner infiltrated activist groups, embedding himself into Alison’s life by moving into her flat where they cohabited for four years, all the while concealing that he was an undercover cop already married with children elsewhere.

Alison told the Undercover Policing Inquiry (UCPI) on Monday that Jenner’s behaviour was “shameful” and “manipulative.” She stated:

“I was deeply in love with Mark and he knew this. I do not believe it is a coincidence that all of us involved in this case describe a deep, loving, intimate bond with our ex-partners.”

The relationship ended abruptly in 2000 when Jenner vanished after pretending to have a mental health crisis. At the time, Alison was in her mid-30s and pressing Jenner about having children. She regarded his manipulation over this issue as evidence of his “sadistic streak.” Alison told the inquiry,

“It is unfathomable … I can’t wrap my head around the idea that anyone could do this.”

Who is Mark Jenner and why did he target Alison?

Jenner was an undercover officer covertly assigned to infiltrate political campaign groups during the late 1990s, according to Sarah Marsh of The Guardian. He was among over 100 undercover policemen deployed over several decades to spy on more than 1,000 political groups across the UK. Jenner’s role required gaining deep access into activist circles, which he achieved by forming close personal relationships.

During the inquiry, Jenner claimed his motive for maintaining the long-term relationship with Alison was because she had a landline telephone and strong connections within Hackney, making her home a useful base for his operations. Alison strongly contested this, calling it “complete nonsense,” adding:

“I don’t even know where to go with how ridiculous a suggestion it is that the reason he had a five year relationship with me was that I owned a landline telephone.”

She further said that Jenner’s real motivation was “sexual gratification,” highlighting the deception and abuse involved.

What political background did Alison and Jenner’s relationship intersect with?

Alison was part of the Colin Roach Centre, an independent organisation named after a black man who died during police interaction in Stoke Newington, which campaigned against police corruption and promoted trade union and anti-fascist politics. The Guardian’s reporting describes how Jenner infiltrated such leftwing political circles in Hackney, which were under intense surveillance during the late 20th century.

Alison’s story underscores the deep betrayal she felt, as her political activism was aimed against institutions embodied by Jenner’s hidden role. On the campaign website Police Spies Out of Lives, Alison wrote poignantly about this conflict:

“To love someone who, with hindsight, embodied the very institution much of my political energy was channelled into challenging has gone to the core of my own identity and has shaken the foundations of my judgements about many things.”

What has Alison done since discovering Jenner’s true identity?

Years after Jenner disappeared from her life in 2000, Alison tracked him down in 2019 through Facebook. Despite seeking answers and closure, Jenner expressed no remorse, she told the inquiry. Alison recounted to Channel 4 News:

“I wanted some answers. Did he express any remorse? No.”

During their years together, Jenner fully integrated into Alison’s life, appearing in her relatives’ wedding photos and traveling with her to countries such as Vietnam, Israel, and Thailand, as reported by The Independent’s Harriet Sherwood. Alison called the emotional impact of this prolonged deception “deeply traumatic.”

What is the Undercover Policing Inquiry and why is it significant?

The Undercover Policing Inquiry (UCPI) was established in 2015 to investigate the conduct of undercover police officers deployed by various UK police forces from 1968 to 2010. The inquiry aims to uncover the extent of covert infiltration into political groups, examine abuses of power, and provide transparency and justice for victims.

Alison’s testimony is part of broader revelations that around 50 women were deceived into sexual relationships by undercover officers acting under official cover. As reported by The Guardian’s Lois Beckett, the UCPI continues to hear accounts from victims like Alison who describe emotional manipulation, betrayal, and the long-lasting damage caused.

What are the broader implications of the revelations about spycops like Jenner?

These revelations about Mark Jenner and others underline grave concerns about ethics, legality, and human rights violations by undercover policing units. According to BBC News coverage by Daniel Sandford, many activists, lawyers, and human rights organisations have condemned these actions as abuses of state power, undermining trust in the police and causing lifelong harm to victims.

The spycop scandal has sparked calls for clear accountability and reforms of undercover operations to ensure respect for personal freedoms and transparent policing.

How has Alison publicly shared her story and what does it reveal about survivor experiences?

Alison has spoken openly about her experiences on the Police Spies Out of Lives website and in media interviews. Her candid reflections reveal the complex emotional toll such infiltration takes on individuals.

She highlighted the difficulty of reconciling love for a partner who, in reality, represented an institution she had fought against politically. This tension encapsulates the broader trauma experienced by women deceived into intimate relationships by undercover officers.

Her story encourages greater awareness of the personal costs of political surveillance and demands justice for those affected.