Late Release of MI5 Stakeknife Files a ‘Significant Failure’, Report Says

Kenova chief Sir Iain Livingstone (left) and Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Jon Boutcher spoke to the media at the Stormont Hotel Liam McBurney/PA

MI5’s initial failure to disclose all it knew about the Army’s top spy in the Provisional IRA during the Troubles was a “significant failure”, an independent report into the activities of Stakeknife has said.

The final report of Operation Kenova said that MI5 had “earlier and greater knowledge” of Stakeknife than it had at first stated.