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The government has put emergency measures in place to avoid prison overcrowding with more rioters set to be sentenced for their role in violent disorder this week.
The activation of Operation Early Dawn is set to help manage short-term prison capacity pressure in some areas. It was last used by the Conservative government in May this year.
The temporary measure comes after recent weeks saw hundreds of people imprisoned in the north of England following the far-right riots as well as amid longstanding capacity failures. UK prisons have been operating at critical levels for the last several years, often with under 1 per cent capacity.
It means that defendants waiting for a court appearance in the north of England will be kept in police cells until prison space is available.
Prisons and probation minister Lord Timpson said: “We inherited a justice system in crisis and exposed to shocks. As a result, we have been forced into making difficult but necessary decisions to keep it operating.
“However, thanks to the hard work of our dedicated staff and partners, we have brought forward additional prison places and now introduced Operation Early Dawn to manage the pressure felt in some parts of the country.”
National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for custody, Deputy Chief Constable Nev Kemp, said: “We are working closely with criminal justice system partners to manage demand in the system and ensure that the public are safe.
“Policing will continue to arrest anyone that they need to in order to keep the public safe, including policing protests and events and ensuring that people are arrested as expected.”
This is a breaking story, more to follow…