They thought they had found their soulmates – but they were all in love with a lie. Cara McGoogan tells the story of one of Britain's biggest secrets, with the women who unearthed the truth.

Stolen identity, spies and heartbreak – sometimes, reality is stranger than fiction.

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It’s one of Britain’s biggest secrets, and it begins with a love story. Young activists united in their fight for justice. But then, cracks start to form. What’s real, what isn’t and where do the lies begin?

Read Cara’s notebook: www.telegraph.co.uk/bedoflies

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The perfect relationships are free of secrets. But these aren’t the perfect relationships. As the years go by, things begin to unravel - starting with the men themselves.

Read Cara’s notebook: www.telegraph.co.uk/bedoflies

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One by one, the men vanish. As the search begins, the girlfriends start to question what they’re really looking for - and who they’re actually in love with.

Read Cara’s notebook: www.telegraph.co.uk/bedoflies

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The mask slips, the relationships unravel, and as lies are uncovered, so too are the men behind them. Plus, for the very first time, our stories collide.

Read Cara’s notebook: www.telegraph.co.uk/bedoflies

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It’s a thin line between spying and meddling. And it’s one that's only faintly drawn in the manual once given to new undercover police officers - written by a familiar name.

Read Cara’s notebook: www.telegraph.co.uk/bedoflies

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Each woman has a fragment of the truth. When they put the pieces together, the true scale of the deception starts to emerge. But as they edge closer to the full story, there's an obstacle in the way: the police.

Read Cara’s notebook: www.telegraph.co.uk/bedoflies

Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

Get in touch: podcasts@telegraph.co.uk and on Twitter @cjmcgoogan

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Police spies have infiltrated homes – and hearts. Now, they face a public inquiry. But why did they dupe women into relationships in the first place? Who sanctioned it? And will all the women and children involved finally receive an apology?

Read Cara’s notebook: www.telegraph.co.uk/bedoflies |

Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

Get in touch: podcasts@telegraph.co.uk and on Twitter @cjmcgoogan |

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