Prison officers call for use of electric stun guns

Prison officers are calling on the Justice Secretary to allow the use of electric stun guns in the UK’s most dangerous jails.

Mark Fairhurst, national chairman of the Prison Officers’ Association (POA), said they will make the demand when they meet with Shabana Mahmood on Wednesday.

The meeting comes after guards at HMP Frankland in County Durham were attacked with hot oil and homemade weapons by Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi.

“When we face life-threatening situations, we no longer have tactical options,” Mr Fairhurst told the BBC, saying officers needed more options if extendable batons and synthetic pepper spray fail to deal with a situation.

“We want specially trained staff on site who respond to incidents with the ability to deploy Taser to neutralise that threat.

The Prison Service said it will investigate whether frontline staff should be given protective body armour following Abedi’s attack earlier this month when four officers were injured.

The Ministry of Justice has pledged to carry out a review following the incident also suspended access to kitchens in separation units in prisons, where the attack is believed to have taken place in Frankland.

Ms Mahmood said: “It is clear there are further questions to answer, and more that must be done.

“This will look into how this was able to happen, and what we must do to better protect our prison officers in the future.

“This review will look specifically at this attack, but also more widely at how separation centres are run.”

Published: 21/04/2025 by Radio NewsHub