Animal Liberation Front mole tells all

LONDON, March 2 (UPI) -- A police informant who infiltrated a British animal liberation group says he sympathizes with people who are "genuinely concerned at the plight of animals."

Adrian Radford, a former soldier and intelligence services instructor, went public last week about the three years he spent inside the Animal Liberation Front, Britain's Sunday Times reported.

Radford said he provided police handlers with information on the group's activities between 2004 and 2007, including details of operations in which he said ALF members terrorized scientists and companies linked to animal laboratories. At times. he said, he disrupted or prevented the group's plans.

He said the attacks he described were financed with contributions collected for what ALF members told donors would be peaceful animal welfare programs.

"I have … sympathy with people genuinely concerned at the plight of animals," Radford said. "They were giving money for this cause and did not know the money was being used to spray-paint cars and hurl abuse at people's children."

One operation Radford described involved an attack at an estate in which two ALF members allegedly ruined three vehicles and caused other property damage. Radford said he reported details of the incident to police.

During his time with ALF, Radford said he posed as a flamboyant gay rights activist and was given the nickname "Captain Nancy." He was recognizable at animal rights demonstrations by a beagle costume he wore -- which had been assigned to him by police, the newspaper said.