Latest on illegal encampment at prison site in Wellingborough

The Northants Telegraph reported on Saturday (March 24) that action was being taken after an illegal encampment was set up on the former prison site.

They had been there for several weeks, but a spokesman for the Ministry of Justice has today (Monday) confirmed that they have left the site.

A Prison Service spokesman said: “It was all dealt with on Saturday, they have left the site.

“Security has been positioned on the forecourt at the entrance and will remain in place until longer term measures are put in place.”

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.

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.