Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Rory Carroll Ireland correspondent

Keep a gun under your pillow: life with an undercover officer in Northern Ireland

The peace wall in Belfast.
Republican paramilitaries targeted police during the Troubles and many officers shielded their identities. Photograph: Radharc Images/Alamy

Susan Phoenix learned a lesson about living with an undercover police officer in Northern Ireland during the Troubles when she cleaned the family car.

“Why did you make the car so bloody clean?” said her husband, Ian. “It looks lovely,” she replied. “Lovely enough so that anyone can read the number plates. From now on they’re to be left dirty. It makes it more difficult for potential murderers to identify us,” Ian responded.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.