Declassified MI5 documents reveal wartime "watchers" were taught to offer big tips to taxi drivers when instructing them to "follow that cab".
Newcomers to MI5 were specifically advised against adopting the glamour of spy films, emphasizing "very little glamour and much monotony" in real espionage work.
Successful watchers were encouraged to be "nondescript types" and to keep a distance of 75 to 90 feet from their targets while following them.
The guidance warned against using false hair as it was easily detectable under harsh light, highlighting the practical challenges of covert surveillance.
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