Stoke Heath prison officers walk out over health and safety concerns

More than 75 members of staff at Stoke Heath Prison, near Market Drayton, were protesting amid safety concerns. The action left about 15 staff within the jail to keep it running.

The Prison Officers' Association said up to 10,000 members took part nationally in the day of protest on Tuesday after talks with the Government broke down. Its branch secretary Lee Allen said conditions in prisons, including Stoke Heath, were "volatile and dangerous".

He said last weekend there were three serious incidents at Stoke Heath including a prisoner being attacked in his cell and stabbed with a weapon. Mr Allen added: "

In the last year or so our staffing levels have been cut by about 40 per cent. It is now dangerous for staff and prisoners. Assaults have gone through the roof."

The Ministry of Justice claimed the industrial action was unjustified and blasted it as "unlawful". Yesterday the Government won a legal case against prison officers taking industrial action.

About 10,000 prison staff staged protests up and down the country, which also caused widespread disruption to court cases.

It is estimated about 200 staff from HMP Featherstone and HMP Brinsford, near Wolverhampton, HMP Stafford and HMP Swinfen Hall, near Lichfield, also took part in demonstrations.

Lee Allen, branch secretary of the Prison Officers' Association and a senior prison officer himself, said Stoke Heath is often under-staffed and as a result prisoners are only getting a basic level of support.

The protest, which began at midnight, comes after a string of high profile incidents at prisons nationally, including an alleged murder, a riot and two inmates escaping.

But the Ministry of Justice claimed the industrial action was unjustified and blasted it as "unlawful".

Mr Allen, who has been working at Stoke Heath for the past 10 years, said: "Staff are getting verbally and physically abused.

"I have seen things deteriorate over time. There used to be a senior officer on each wing and then six or seven officers.

"Now there are no senior officers on the wing and about five officers. The ratio is now one officer to 35 prisoners.

"Our governor is working with us and understands but his hands are tied."

Mr Allen added: "This is a national issue and we feel very strongly that more funds are needed to make a decent and safe environment. It is a vicious circle. We need an increase in staff."

At Stoke Heath Prison the number of officers fell from the 190 recorded in 2013 to 130 recorded this year. There are currently about 760 prisoners.

In addition figures from the MoJ show that in 2015 there were 28 occasions of prisoners violently attacking fellow inmates; an increase from 12 in 2014, 15 in 2013, and more than three times the number that took place in 2012, which was eight.

Deaths at the prison were also at a 19-year high, with two deaths reported in the last year, compared to zero in 2014, one in 2013, zero in 2012, and one in 2011.

Andrew Murdoch, prison officer, has been working at Stoke Heath for the past four years.

He said: "The environment we are working in is very harsh.

"The levels of violence are high and the prisoners feel empowered.

"They know we are short-staffed and that is dangerous.

"We regularly see assaults on staff and it is all due to a lack of numbers.

"Every day we are just getting by.

"Things are a lot different from when I started here. There used to be a clear line drawn and a good relationship with prisoners.

"Now they think they can run the place."

Justice Secretary Liz Truss claimed the strike was "unlawful" and yesterday afternoon the High Court ordered prison officers to return to work after an injunction was granted against the industrial action.

An MoJ spokesman said: "There is no justification for this action.

"We have been engaged in constructive talks with the POA over the past two weeks and have provided a comprehensive response to a range of health and safety concerns.

"The Government has announced an additional 2,500 frontline officers to help reduce violence in prisons.

"We have well-established contingencies in place to manage prisons and keep the public safe, but we are clear that this constitutes unlawful industrial action and we will seek remedy in the courts."