Richard Spurr 1am - 4am
'Shane' Tells Nick Ferrari About His Experience Of Working As A Spy
20 July 2018, 09:13
LBC listeners got a glimpse into the life of a spy after 'Shane,' (not his real name,) rang Nick to tell him about his experience of working undercover for more than a decade.
Nick was discussing the news that British police and intelligence agencies are using children, some under the age of 16, as spies in covert operations against criminals, when 'Shane,' an ex-spy, rang in to tell Nick about his experience.
'Shane' described how he was recruited by police aged 18, what happened when he was arrested in his new alias, how he developed working relationships with the gangs he infiltrated, and the negative effect the affair has had on his mental health.
When Nick asked 'Shane' whether he found the experience "exciting," he replied: "Not really, you got paid fairly well... if you were to supply information that would save someone's life... then it would be in the thousands. But for the minor stuff, it wasn't great."
Nick finished by asking 'Shane' whether he thought young teenagers should be used as spies.
'Shane' immediately replied: "Definitely, definitely not... you have to make decisions that are life and death."
Watch the extraordinary call in full above.