diff --git a/scripts/mock_control.py b/scripts/mock_control.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..353aacf974ab4b0eb57ce27fe09a77fbfd56ac8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/mock_control.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+#! /usr/bin/python2
+
+import socket
+import time
+
+MAX_RUNS = 3
+EXEC_TIME_SECS = 5
+STOP_DELAY_SECS = 10
+
+
+def send_command(sock, cmd, run_no):
+    message = cmd + " " + str(run_no)
+    print
+    "Sending message: ", message
+    try:
+        sock.sendall(message)
+        data = sock.recv(256)
+        print
+        "Server response: ", data
+        if "ok" in data:
+            print
+            "Command successful"
+            return True
+        else:
+            return False
+    except Exception as e:
+        print
+        "ERROR! ", e
+        return False
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+    server_address = ('localhost', 8000)
+    sock.connect(server_address)
+
+    do_start = True
+    for current_run in range(0, MAX_RUNS):
+
+        if do_start:
+            print
+            "Starting run ", current_run
+            send_command(sock, "start", current_run)
+            time.sleep(EXEC_TIME_SECS)
+
+        print
+        "Halting run ", current_run
+        send_command(sock, "stop", current_run)
+
+        time.sleep(STOP_DELAY_SECS)
+
+    sock.close()