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• Mon Apr 21 2025

Prison staff to demand electric stun guns in jails

5 hours ago Share Save George Wright BBC News Share Save

PA Media Hashem Abedi attacked officers at HMP Frankland in County Durham

Prison officers are to demand that staff be immediately given electric stun guns to protect themselves while guarding the UK's most dangerous jails when they meet the justice secretary on Wednesday. The meeting with Shabana Mahmood comes after Hashem Abedi, one of the men responsible for the Manchester Arena bombing, threw hot oil at officers and stabbed them with makeshift weapons at HMP Frankland in County Durham. Mark Fairhurst, national chair of the Prison Officers' Association (POA), told the BBC that they are "calling for the tactical use of taser". In a statement, Mahmood said "we must do to better protect our prison officers in the future".

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Mr Fairhurst said: "My concerns are that when we face life threatening situations, we no longer have tactical options. "If extendible batons and incapacitant spray fail to work adequately, we have no other options available." "That's why we are calling for the tactical use of taser. We want specially trained staff on site who respond to incidents with the ability to deploy taser to neutralise that threat. "At the moment we haven't got that." Prison officers currently only carry an extendable baton and Pava incapacitant spray - synthetic pepper spray. The POA will also renew calls for all staff to have stab vests. Mr Fairhurst has also called for American "Supermax"-style rules imposed on the UK's most dangerous inmates. This would mean selected high-risk inmates would leave their cell only when handcuffed and escorted by three staff, he told the Guardian newspaper. There would also would be no mixing with other prisoners, and they would be restricted to their basic entitlement of rights and privileges. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has said there will be a full, independent review into the incident, which has drawn criticism from survivors and the families of victims of the Manchester Arena bombing. Security measures at the separation centre did allow prisoners access to kitchens - where Abedi carried out his attack - but this was suspended by MoJ following the incident.

PA Media Abedi has since been moved to London's high-security Belmarsh prison