Inside world’s smallest jail on tiny UK island ‘awash’ with criminals

Deep within one of the UK’s smallest islands lies a prison dubbed the smallest in the world.

And despite the island it is housed upon being “awash” with crime, the place only has space for two criminals. Sark Prison, based on the Channel Islands, was built in 1856 on the island of Sark.

The island is just 2.1 square miles and has a population of just 562 people, according to the 2023 census. And hidden among the beautiful hills, valleys and vast green spaces is a very small prison right next door to the island’s visitor centre.

READ MORE: ‘Most ridiculous’ complaints Tesco shoppers make – burnt chicken to booze error

Click for more of the latest news from the Daily Star.

Built in 1856, it was actually in 1832 that the courts ordered it to be created – but it took 20 years to build the world’s smallest prison because nobody had any cash to do so.

Unchanged today, apart from the obvious introduction of electricity and plumbing, the two-cell building is split into two rooms – one six by six and the other at a whopping six by eight.

There is a small corridor/walkway between them, but the inside leaves a lot to be desired. Both cells house small wood-slatted beds with horrifically thin mattresses for inmates to rest on – although maximum stay time is just two to three days.

But despite not having any serious crimes attempted on the island since Andres Gardes tried to take over the island with a semi-automatic rifle in 1990, a local cop – of which there are only two – has claimed the island is “awash” with crime.

PC Mike Fawson, who left the island in 2019, said: “Sark in the past (and current) has been awash with people who have various criminal convictions, which in many cases we have no knowledge of until another offence is committed.

“There are many incidents that we cannot lawfully do anything about as we do not have the appropriate tools and laws at our disposal to deal with them, such as speeding, intoxicated driving.

“All Sark special constables and custody officers should be fully trained with and equipped with batons and Pava spray for self-protection and protection of the general public.

“In many cases when an unlawful incident occurs, the Sark police constables are met with a wall of silence and an unwillingness of people to make an official complaint that would enable someone being brought to account for their actions.”

So, although the island has a working prison . . . it doesn’t appear to get much use, even if it has room for just two inmates.

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.