Action being taken over illegal encampment at Wellingborough Prison

The illegal camp has been there for several weeks, but the Ministry of Justice says they are working to move them on.

A Prison Service spokesman said: “A group of individuals have been illegally camping on the former prison site of HMP Wellingborough.

“Police have been notified and all the necessary legal steps to regain possession of the site have been taken.”

Wellingborough Prison closed in December 2012 and resulted in the loss of almost 600 prison places.

It has been empty since then, and extra security was installed in October 2016 after Travellers set up camp there.

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But in November 2016, the Ministry of Justice announced that a new category C prison will be built on the site.

It will house more prisoners than the previous prison and have better facilities to enable inmates to be rehabilitated.

The new prison is part of the Government’s programme to close old Victorian jails and replace them with modern facilities.

Plans to demolish the existing buildings and build a new prison were unanimously approved by Wellingborough Council’s planning committee last year.

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