Police cells are commandeered (From The Argus)

Police cells are commandeered

5:02am Saturday 28th October 2006 in

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Ten police cells have been commandeered by the Home Office to house prisoners.

The move comes as the Government attempts to deal with a crisis which has left prisons across the country full to bursting.

Chichester and Eastbourne custody centres have given up five cells each which are regularly filled each night, Sussex Police have confirmed.

The county is among 19 police forces holding prisoners in cells as part of Operation Safeguard.

Jail population is hovering around the 80,000 mark, and two weeks ago levels reached an all-time high.

Lewes Prison is just 41 inmates below the overall capacity of 558, according to Home Office figures released on Thursday.

In a bid to solve the overcrowding, The Home Office is now asking firms to provide 200 to 800 prison places on prison ships.

Nick Herbert, Arundel and South Downs MP and shadow minister for police reform, said police should not have to bail out the Home Office.

He said: "It takes up police manpower and it means that the cells are not available to the police. Unsuitable prisoners are also being transferred to open prisons or released early.

"The mismanagement and incompetence of several Home Secretaries does affect local people, and the cells are also not designed to hold prisoners who are on remand or have been convicted."

But Sussex Police said the plans would not impact on crime-fighting and that money spent on guarding the cells would be recouped.

Assistant Chief Constable Jeremy Paine added that Sussex Police was backing the operation.

He said: "It is likely that initially a small number of places will be made available to the prison service at our purpose-built custody centres in Chichester and, possibly, Eastbourne.

"This will not affect day-to-day operational policing in any way and no additional costs will be placed upon the Sussex Police budget."

Hilary Banks, the Association of Chief Police Officers lead on the operation, said: "The decision to activate Operation Safeguard has been made as a result of a recent rise in the national prison population.

"Police cells will be used as a short-term measure until the accommodation available in prisons more accurately matches the number of prisoners.

"The police service has plans in place to house prisoners in police premises and 240 places will be made available initially to the prison service.

"All associated costs will be recovered and Operation Safeguard will in no way affect the normal day to day service of police forces."