‘It’s up to date to the start of the war, sir. As you know, we started playing a different game after that, taking them more seriously. There were thirty-three members of the British Union of Fascists in this division by the summer of 1939. I’ve checked the file and just over half of these would be what I’d describe as nominal members, people who weren’t active and who just received that newspaper – many of them had probably ceased being members years previously. Probably a dozen of them were what we’d describe as active members. Two of those have since died, four no longer live in the area and four of the remaining six have been interned on the Isle of Man.’

‘And the other two?’

‘We keep an eye on them: they’re a married couple in Skegness, but the husband had a stroke last year and the wife looks after him.’

‘So the twenty or so what you describe as inactive members – let me see their files.’

‘The inactive members? Surely—’

‘They’re the ones I’m interested in. Let me have a proper look.’

By Tuesday morning, Prince was confident his hunch was right. He’d been through Inspector Lord’s list and narrowed it down to three former members of the British Union of Fascists who lived in the Mablethorpe area. Two of them were visited that morning and were ruled out, but a schoolteacher called Lillian Abbott was more interesting. Lord had found another file on her that showed that in the early 1930s she’d been a much more active fascist than had originally been realised. Prince sent two officers to her isolated cottage that morning with a brief to have a discreet look. When they returned, they reported that they were sure they’d spotted some movement inside, even though they knew the owner was at work.

They followed Lillian Abbott as she cycled home later that afternoon and watched as she stopped at two farms. Both of the farms later confirmed she had started buying food from them in the past week. She told us she’s got two soldiers billeted with her.

Richard Prince decided to keep a watch on the house that night and raid it first thing in the morning. That evening he went for another walk along the seafront, a sentry allowing him through the barrier to the sea wall. It was completely deserted and he soon found the spot they’d come to on their last family outing two years before.

It was meant to be a pleasant day out after he’d worked for two weeks without a break. Grace was running in every direction chasing seagulls and Henry wasn’t letting his father hold him. He only wanted his mother. His wife was on the verge of tears.

‘I simply can’t cope with looking after them on my own all the time.’

‘But you have help, we—’