More lives lost than saved in Troubles due to British spy, Stakeknife report finds

Alfredo 'Freddie' Scappaticci, codename 'Stakeknife' (circled) pictured at a republican funeral. Picture: Justin Kernoghan

More lives were lost than saved because of the activities of a man alleged to have been the highest-ranking British intelligence agent in the IRA during the Northern Ireland Troubles, according to a seven-year investigation into his activities.

The Kenova report published on Friday finds that the agent Stakeknife saved “between high single figures and low double figures” lives but “nowhere near hundreds [as] sometimes claimed”.