Prison locks changed after security blunders

Last updated at 17:11 04 July 2006


All the locks in two prisons are being changed at a cost of hundreds of thousands of pounds following separate security breaches, it was revealed today.

One involved a visitor leaving a set of prison keys on a table yesterday after relaxing in the staff canteen, which is run by inmates.

The visitor was believed to have been a member of the Independent Monitoring Board - formerly known as the Board of Visitors - at an unnamed jail somewhere in England and Wales. He has since resigned, sources said.

The second incident took place last week following a media visit to Feltham young offenders' institution in west London.

Broadcasters and print journalists were invited to the jail ahead of last Thursday's publication of a report by Mr Justice Keith into the racist murder of Asian prisoner Zahid Mubarek at Feltham in 2000.

Every lock and key at Feltham is being replaced, its governor confirmed at an estimated cost of £250,000.

A Prison Service spokeswoman confirmed two jails were undergoing a re-lock, but added: "These are relatively rare events which only take place when security has been sufficiently breached for it to be necessary."

Feltham Governor Andrew Cross said: "I can confirm the establishment is going through a process of re-locking, entailing replacing all keys and locks.

"Staff are working hard to ensure the process happens as quickly and safely as possible."

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