Overcrowded prisons kitted out with £500,000 of heavy-duty equipment to prepare for summer of violence

OVERCROWDED prisons are being ­fortified with £500,000 worth of heavy-duty equipment to prepare for a summer of violence, official documents show.

Ministers have bought “anti-barricade door jacks” capable of smashing through metal-reinforced cell doors in less than 60 seconds.

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The purchase was revealed in contract documents uncovered by Labour.

The Ministry of Justice called it an “essential piece of equipment” in “today’s challenging custodial environments”.

There were nearly 1,400 barricading incidents in prisons last year, more than three times the number recorded in 2010, official figures show.

Shadow Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “This is a last-ditch attempt [by the Tories] to deal with the summer of violent unrest and riots.”

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A Prison Service spokesman said: “We make no apologies for taking every necessary step in keeping our staff and prisoners safe.”

A crack prison riot squad, the National Tactical Response Group, was deployed more in 2023 than 2022.

The prison officers’ union may take the Government to court if the overcrowding crisis worsens.