Claw and order as jail releases ‘feral’ cats on its wings to deal with rat disaster
Bosses at HMP Featherstone have turned to the felines to tackle an “infestation” after a watchdog painted a grim picture of the Category C jail
Cats have been released on wings to tackle the rat problem(Image: SWNS.com)
Wild cats have been drafted in to clean up a rat-infested prison. Bosses at HMP Featherstone have turned to the felines to tackle an “infestation”.
It comes after lags were found launching rubbish from their cell windows at the “dilapidated” Category C prison. A watchdog has painted a grim picture of conditions, with raw sewage and prisoners using toilet roll to wash pots due to a lack of tea towels.
There had also been a string of ‘dirty protests’ inside the Staffordshire jail’s segregation unit. A new Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) report stated: “Rodent infestation was a problem in many parts of the prison throughout the reporting year.
“Prisoners were encouraged not to throw food and rubbish out of the cell windows, and cleaning teams were allocated to clean up outside the wings.
“Feral cats have been brought in to help with the rodent problem. Much of the prison is in poor condition and significant investment is needed to bring it up to modern standards.
Inspectors even found “various old and mouldy white goods left outside in the corridor near the kitchen” along with over six months of waste oil.
And prisoners even moaned about the meagre food portions. The report did note that inmates had started to clean up their act by chucking less rubbish from their cells.
However, the IMB has now asked Minister for Prisons, Lord Timpson, how he plans to bring the 50-year-old site up to scratch.
The report added: “Featherstone is in a dilapidated state and does not provide the facilities expected in a modern prison.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “This Government inherited a justice system in crisis, with a crumbling prison estate.
“That is why we are investing £500 million over two years in prison and probation service maintenance to improve conditions across the estate.”
