‘Urgent clarification’ sought over Bedford Prison security lapse claims by undercover reporter

The government is seeking "urgent clarification" on prisons and their vetting processes after a journalist was able to enter undercover.

An investigation by The Times saw a journalist hired as a temporary worker at HMP Bedford, which was last month described as among the "worst" prison inspectors have ever seen.

The reporter claimed he did not go through a full vetting process, was able to enter the prison without being properly searched, and heard junior staff were being used for duties only fully trained prison officers should undertake.

Following publication of the investigation, Alex Chalk, the Lord Chancellor, has sought reassurance on some of the issues raised.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said: “This reporter was employed briefly as a temporary agency worker at HMP Bedford with restricted access and duties limited to escorting prison contractors, but the Lord Chancellor is seeking urgent clarification from the Prison Service that the vetting process for such workers is appropriate.”

In February, prisoners at HMP Bedford were described as living in squalid conditions at the Victorian jail, which is described as rife with violence and infested with rats and cockroaches.

The category B prison - which means it has prisoners who do not require maximum security, but are deemed at risk of attempting to escape - can hold around 400 inmates.

Bedford Prison has a history of problems, including riots in 2016, and following the recent inspection it was put into emergency measures. The MoJ said improvements were already under way.

The Times' investigation saw reporter Paul Morgan-Bentley hired in February through an agency as a prison contractor escort, commonly known as an operational support grade (OSG) escort, who are not subject to the full vetting process unless they remain in post for more than three months.

According to the MoJ, OSG escorts are subject to an abridged vetting process, including a check to make sure they have no criminal record, and they are not given keys for cell doors.

In his eight days at HMP Bedford, Mr Morgan-Bentley said there were two days when security equipment at the jail’s entrance was unmanned, and on other days staff had not been properly trained in how to use the equipment.

The MoJ did acknowledge that the airport-style security was sometimes unmanned when staff were assigned to other duties, adding visitors and staff were still regularly and randomly searched when entering prison.

The MoJ spokesperson said: “The enhanced airport-style security in place at HMP Bedford and other closed jails is there solely due to this Government’s £100m investment in tough new controls – including rolling out X-ray scanners, tightening staff searches and recruiting hundreds more drug detection dogs to make our prisons safer.”

They added: “We deliberately do not set out when it will be in operation in order to provide regular spot checks.

“However, in February it was used 91% of the time at HMP Bedford.”

The department also admitted junior staff at HMP Bedford had escorted inmates without a prison officer present, and said this was “being addressed with leaders” at the jail.

Labour’s shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood demanded “urgent reassurance” from ministers on how they would “fix these appalling breaches of security”.

She said: “This is an absolutely shocking report. The Conservatives’ failure to keep prisons secure is a threat to security and is putting the public at risk.

“Rushed vetting for recruits and no-one manning security scanners are particularly outrageous in a prison that could be housing murderers and rapists.”

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