Get the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

UKIP in Scotland has revealed it is using a variety of undercover measures to spy on its opponents.

The party’s chairman north of the border Arthur Thackeray has made the shock revelations that private investigators were hired during the independence referendum and that protest groups against the party were “infiltrated”.

And Thackeray described UKIP’s network as “‘a very good intelligence service” adding that the activities will “most definitely” continue ahead of May’s General Election.

Thackeray, a former security firm boss, said the party has recruited private investigation industry contacts to monitor anti-Ukip protest groups;

And to throw opponents off the scent, he revealed that “spotters” used to infiltrate anti-UKIP protest groups are being recruited from the Polisgh community - because it was felt they were the last people the mob would expect to be working for UKIP.

‘Decoy’ events have been set up by Ukip to take protesters away from the proper venues;

Thackeray himself said he went undercover himself at a Radical Independence Campaign event.

Opponents of then part have branded the tactics as “sinister”.

The security measures have been adopted in Scotland since UK leader Nigel Farage had to be locked in an Edinburgh pub last year to protect him from an angry mob.

Thackeray was a director of his own group of companies ‘in the security and private investigations industry’ before becoming Ukip Scotland chairman and chief of staff to Ukip MEP David Coburn.

He told the Mail on Sunday: “It is safe to say that we have a very good intelligence service within the party now. We keep tabs on everything that’s happening with our opponents. You’ll appreciate from my background I have a network of people who have a range of skills. They’re quite happy to do the job.

“For our members, representatives and certainly for Nigel when he’s in town, safety is important.”

Last year Farage was confronted with around 50 protestors at the Canons’ Gait pub in central Edinburgh, some allegedly chanting “racist Nazi scum” and “Go home to England”.

(Image: www.stockpix.eu/Russell Sneddon)

Farage had to be rescued by police.

it is thought that incident led to the party re-assessing its security measures.

“Decoy” events have been set up to lure protestors away from real events and Thackeray himself and a private eye went undercover at a Radical Independence Campaign event.

He added:”As someone who’s done a lot of covert work in my time, it was nothing. For the remainder of the campaign, every time there was an event we went along.”

Groups thought to have been monitored by UKIP include Radical Independence, the Socialist Worker Party, Scottish Socialist Party, United Against Fascism and Stand Up To UKIP.

Asked if undercover operations would continue, Mr Thackeray said: “Most definitely. Whatever we have to do within the law to make sure that safety is maintained we will do.”

These types of activities are not thought to have broken any laws.

An SNP spokesman said: “That UKIP resort to spying on people who disagree with their intolerant agenda is sinister - and shows exactly what kind of party they are.

“We need as many Nationalist MPs as possible elected at the General Election because we can’t afford to have UKIP wielding any more influence at Westminster than they already do.”