Thousands of prison officers to get stab-proof vests

Up to 10,000 more prison officers will get stab-proof vests while hundreds will be given tasers after a string of high-profile attacks.

Justice Secretary David Lammy announced £15m worth of new kit during a visit to Category A Belmarsh prison, in southeast London. The number of vests available will rise from 750 to 10,000, with 5,000 earmarked to equip every officer working in high-security facilities.

Use of tasers will also be ramped up after a trial of 20 specialist staff, with up to 500 officers to be trained to use the 1,500-volt weapons. The move comes after three officers were taken to hospital with serious injuries after they were allegedly attacked with hot oil and makeshift weapons at maximum-security HMP Frankland, in County Durham, in April.

Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi, 28, has been charged with three counts of attempted murder, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and unauthorised possession of a knife or offensive weapon. He is yet to enter pleas to the charges and is next due in court on 25 September.

During Mr Lammy's visit to Belmarsh, a prison officer of seven years told reporters he had seen colleagues stabbed and admitted to hospital. Mr Lammy said: "I am determined to restore tough law and order, ensure prisons are fit for purpose, and make our streets safer.

"Our dedicated prison officers put themselves in harm's way every day to protect us. "This new investment sends a clear message: we back our staff and we will give them the tools they need to do their jobs safely." The new measures also come as legislation to tackle the prison capacity crisis was introduced to parliament earlier this month.

The Sentencing Bill came just before Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's major cabinet reshuffle that saw former justice secretary Shabana Mahmood replaced by Mr Lammy, and followed a year of emergency measures to tackle jail overcrowding..