Councillor says people 'left in dark' following Dartmoor Prison closure

People have been left "in the dark" following the closure of HMP Dartmoor, a local councillor has said.

The Category C men's prison in Princetown, Devon, was temporarily closed earlier this month because of "dangerously high" radon levels.

Devon County councillor Philip Sanders (Con, Yelverton Rural) said: “It is exceptionally worrying time."

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said: “Public safety will always be this government’s priority.

“We are working with staff to ensure they are supported and safely placed in alternative roles," it added.

More than 400 prisoners were removed from the jail in December 2023, after a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found radon levels 10 times the recommended workplace limit.

Prisoners had begun returning to Dartmoor at the start of July 2024 but another discovery of high levels of radon was made just weeks later.

The remaining 175 convicts will be moved to other prisons and the site closed.

The closure could be for up to two years, and comes at a time when almost all cells across the country are full, leading the government to release some prisoners after they have served 40 per cent of their sentence, rather than the usual 50 per cent.

Mr Sanders said residents and staff have received "no clear information" about the future of the prison, and "everyone is nervous and not sure what is going to happen."

"We can only wait and see, there is no clear information, and the cost of dealing with radon could be very significant," he said.

Radon is an odourless radioactive gas formed by decaying uranium found in rocks and soils - particularly granite which is common on Dartmoor.

According to the UK Health Security Agency, it is responsible for around 1,000 lung cancer deaths a year.

Cllr Sanders said: “We have lived with radon for many years and anyone in this area with an older property will have radon levels in their house or business.

“It is nothing new and I don’t think there is any evidence that the prison officers who served at Dartmoor 100 years ago were adversely affected, but the levels of radon are considered no longer safe and it’s no longer acceptable.”

Cllr Sanders warned of "serious consequences" to residents and staff if the prison were to permanently close, saying coach-loads of people visit the 215-year-old prison each year.

The Ministry of Justice said it would take further advice from specialists and keep staff updated.

“We are continually keeping the position at Dartmoor under review and work is underway on the development of permanent mitigations,” the MoJ said.

“We are working with staff to ensure they are supported and safely placed in alternative roles.”

It added that the new government would be setting out its long-term plans to address prison capacity later this year.

Torridge and Tavistock MP Sir Geoffrey Cox said mitigation measures had already begun under the previous government as the radon problem had been known about for several years.

He has written to the secretary of state for justice Shabana Mahmood questioning why the decision has been taken.

Sir Geoffrey said: “When I visited last year, I found a well-run prison and dedicated staff. It makes no sense at all for this prison to be closed without the most compelling reasons and it is vital for the staff and their families that the uncertainty is removed soon.”

The Prison Officers’ Association said it had been informed that there are “dangerously high levels” of radon on the landings at the prison but it had not been told how long it would take for mitigations to be put in place.

“The POA is updated on a regular basis regarding mitigations and the effectiveness of these,” it said.