Prison officers should be armed, say Conservatives

Prison officers dealing with violent inmates should be armed, the shadow justice secretary has said.

Specialist guards should have Taser stun guns and baton rounds – a less lethal alternative to traditional bullets – to give them “confidence” in handling threats, Robert Jenrick told the BBC.

The Conservatives said secure armouries should be introduced at maximum security jails and used as a last resort.

Prison officers in adult male prisons currently only carry an extendable baton and Pava, a synthetic pepper spray.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said some prison officers will use Tasers this summer on a trial basis, but argued that giving them lethal weapons would put them at greater risk.

The Prison Officers’ Association (POA), a union, called…