In a letter to CUSU, the Cambridgeshire Police Commissioner, Sir Graham Bright, has sought to reassure students following last month’s revelations that the Cambridgeshire police force had tried to recruit an informant to report on Cambridge student activists, including CUSU and CDE.

Sir Graham said that: “I am aware that various surveillance tactics are used in policing in Cambridgeshire and across the country. Their use is driven by an assessment of threat, risk and harm within the context of keeping people safe. I am not made aware of the specifics of cases, as this would impinge on the independence of the Chief Constable to utilise the tactics that are most appropriate in the circumstances.”

He went on to say that: “I have received an assurance from the Constabulary that the actions taken were within the legal framework set out by the legislation.”

He also added: “I understand that there are mechanisms in place already for students to raise issues and concerns such as this through the Constabulary’s university liaison officer, as well as being able to engage regularly through its student social media accounts, such as the student blog and Facebook page.”

Sir Graham was responding to a letter from CUSU President Flick Osborn which stated that CUSU was “disappointed” at the police’s actions.

Osborn added: “We work hard to ensure that the police is always informed about any planned demonstrations or protests we support. We find the officer’s actions to covertly obtain information about our own and other student groups’ activities to be completely dismissive of our partnership.”

Sir Graham was invited to attend a CUSU open meeting to address students directly but was unable to attend. He has however offered to attend in the future in order to discuss the matter.

Responding to Sir Graham’s letter, CUSU said that: “We are disappointed by Sir Graham Bright’s response to our letter inviting him to speak to Cambridge students about recent revelations of police surveillance of students. It is crucial that students have an opportunity to ask questions and hold the Cambridge Constabulary to account.

“We are also shocked and appalled that at a meeting of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Sir Bright linked this surveillance of students with prevention of violent attacks, saying ‘One dreads to think that something could happen in Cambridge like it did in Woolwich.’

“CUSU supports its members’ democratic right to protest and consistently keeps the police informed of such peaceful action. We are hopeful that Sir Bright will reconsider his response to our invitation.”

Academic staff from the University have also written an open letter to the Vice-Chancellor, Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, expressing their concern over the attempts to spy on students. The letter sent to the Vice-Chancellor last week labelled the police tactics as “highly invasive practices”, and called on Sir Leszek to “make it clear that the University is in no way involved in supporting such practices.”

A spokesperson for the University stated: “The Vice-Chancellor also notes the concerns of the letter’s signatories that the right to peaceful protest and political and social campaigning be preserved and protected. He has already made these points to the police.”