AN UNDERCOVER police officer denied that he preyed on young women while infiltrating animal rights activist groups in the 1980s, a public inquiry heard today.

Married father Bob Lambert, who deceived at least four women into sexual relationships and fathered a child, admitted he had no evidence Belinda Harvey was an activist when he started sleeping with her.

The undercover policing inquiry has heard her call him a “cruel and manipulative” liar and that she fell “head over heels” in love with him.

Giving evidence today, Mr Lambert agreed that the then 24-year-old aspiring accountant Ms Harvey was not “activist material.”

Under questioning by inquiry counsel David Barr KC, he admitted they began sleeping together a week after they met at a party he said he attended due to having an “animal rights connection.”

Asked if he gave thought that he was “playing with her emotions,” he replied: “No. I don’t think I gave thought to that prospect — obviously I should have done.

“I believed that it was an affectionate, romantic relationship that obviously I knew that it would come to an end and I hoped I think that she would be able to look back on it fondly and not suffer greatly from it.”

The inquiry heard he could not recall if he told his undercover colleagues or managers about the relationship.

Noting all four of the women he slept with during the course of his deployment were in their early to mid 20s, Mr Barr asked: “Is the reality that you were preying on young women?”

Mr Lambert said: “I’m absolutely certain that that wasn’t the case.”

The inquiry continues.