Shrewsbury's Dana Prison goes on the tourist trail
The heavy doors of Shropshire's Dana Prison opened again for a series of tours to raise money for a charity supporting victims of crime.
Hundreds of people were escorted on the tours which were held in the former prison in Shrewsbury this weekend after the Ministry of Justice closed it down earlier this year.
The open days were carried out in association with Heritage Open Days, a charitable organisation aligned with the National Trust that works with organisations to celebrate England's architecture and culture by offering free access to places that are usually closed to the public. The Dana was shut in March as part of a government drive to scrap ageing prisons. More than 200 people lost their jobs. But the corridors were full again at the weekend, with around 500 people enjoying tours.
Tom Edwards, a 26-year-old engineer from Oswestry, said: "I have always wanted to see what it was like inside, but even knowing it was empty I still felt nervous.
"It was a really interesting tour, but I feel for the people who lost their jobs when it closed."
