POLICE chiefs have apologised after admitting an undercover officer was involved in an animal welfare protest which resulted in 6,000 mink being released into the New Forest.

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) says an undercover operative infiltrated the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and took part in the release, at a farm near Ringwood in 1998.

The officer, known by her cover name ‘Christine Green’, was working for the Met’s Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) at the time.

But bosses at Scotland Yard failed to tell colleagues at Hampshire Constabulary about their involvement in the incident, which Ringwood residents say caused “mayhem” in the area.

Hampshire police launched an investigation, but did not make an arrest.

Last night, Met chiefs apologised for their involvement in the incident, admitting the scale of the release was “unforeseen”.

They also apologised to Hampshire Constabulary for failing to inform them of the force’s role in the incident.

Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball, in charge of Professionalism at the MPS, said: “The MPS has apologised to Hampshire Constabulary for the impact these decisions had on its ability to bring those responsible to justice.

“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.”

She added that she expected the decision making would likely cause “significant concern to the public” but insisted it would “simply not happen” in the Metropolitan Police Service today.

Responding to the apology, Hampshire Constabulary’s Chief Superintendent, Darren O’Callaghan, said: “We welcome the apology from the Metropolitan Police and the acknowledgement that we were unaware of any of these practices taking place in our force area.”

Up to 6,000 mink were released during the protest in 1998, which took place at Crow Hill Fur Farm, near Ringwood.

The ALF, who still exist, claimed it was behind the incident.

The group said it conducted the release because the then-Labour government had not fulfilled its pledge to ban fur farming.

The practice was later banned under the Fur Farming (Prohibition) Act 2000.

According to media reports at the time, around 2,000 minks were rounded up, while another 2,000 were thought to have been run over or shot.

New Forest MP, Sir Desmond Swayne, said: “It was huge at the time. I was asked to ask what government help could be had in seeking to kill or capture the mink before the devastating predation of the indigenous species.”

Yesterday’s release of information comes as part of a national probe into undercover policing – dating back as far as the 1960s.