Deep Deception : The story of the spycop network, by the women who uncovered the shocking truth

Groomed. Gaslighted. Ghosted.

These five motivated, articulate and independent women each thought they'd met the love of their life - a true soulmate who shared their values, ambitions and goals. They shared a passion for campaigning and had joined the same political groups. But after many happy years, their partners started to behave strangely, and appeared to be having a nervous breakdown.

Then they vanished, leaving a note explaining that they'd gone abroad to sort themselves out. 'It's not you. It's me.' These women were left confused and traumatised, unable to move on and searching for answers.

Through forensic detective work, they eventually confirmed they had all been in serious relationships with fictional men who were actually married police officers and whose deceit was being funded by the tax payer. The undercover officers were part of a secret political policing unit and took elaborate measures to develop their fake personas. They stole the identities of dead children.

They were issued with fake passports and driving licenses. As the women uncovered the truth, their discoveries caused the operations to fall apart dramatically and publicly, enabling them to find each other and take legal action. When they compared their stories, they discovered the chilling overlaps in their experiences.

The police officers had been using the same set of tactics and techniques to manipulate their cover-story girlfriends. They had been spying on the women and their friends in order to undermine their attempts to create a more just world. This is the story of five women whose lives were stolen by state-sponsored spies, but who came together to take on the police, ultimately winning an unprecedented apology and out-of-court settlement.