An experienced prison officer and union representative for prison officers at HMP North Sea Camp says “they’re not protected at all”.
Open prisons became the subject of much debate this month when convicted sex offender Paul Robson absconded from HMP North Sea Camp near Boston on Sunday, February 13. He was the second person to abscond from the prison in 2022, and over 100 absconded from the same location over the last decade.
The 56-year-old was arrested after a brief foot chase with police in Skegness on February 17. He was later charged with escaping lawful custody and was also accused of stealing a pedal cycle from the Prison Service.
A hearing was fixed for Robson to return to court on March 18, while the Ministry of Justice said he will “face an uphill struggle proving he can ever be trusted to move to an open prison”.
Jackie Marshall is a prison officer of over 30 years who works for the Prison Officers Association. When asked how protected her officers are in an open prison, she told BBC Look North: “They’re not protected at all. At night time they can carry a baton now and that was after a lot of campaigning by the POA.”
North Sea Camp is an open prison near Boston for category D criminals. It has been open since 1935. | Photo: John Aron for The Lincolnite
She believes there are people being placed in open prisons that shouldn’t be there. When asked if this was putting members of the public at risk, she added: “Yes, because there’s no physical security.”
On the last inspection of HMP North Sea Camp in April 2021, there were 336 prisoners held at the open prison. Over half were convicted of sexual offences, and 70% were presenting a high risk of harm to others.
The Ministry of Justice told BBC Look North: “There was not a single violent incident reported last year at HMP North Sea Camp. Any prisoner who was violent or breached the rules would be returned to close conditions, which means incidents and absconds are rare.”
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The final in the latest series of road closures for works on the A1, as part of the Grantham Southern Relief Road project, has been temporarily postponed
A weekend northbound A1 closure was due to be in place between 8pm on Friday, May 20 and 6am on Monday, May 23.
However, Lincolnshire County Council said the closure has been temporarily postponed and once new dates have been confirmed they will be shared.
Works on phase three began in April this year, with the council anticipating that winter 2023 will be the completion date for the relief road.
This will be with the view to reduce congestion and carbon emissions, and provide opportunities for growth in the local economy.
The £102 million Grantham Southern Relief Road project has been led by Lincolnshire County Council, supported by South Kesteven District Council, Highways England, Greater Lincolnshire LEP, Network Rail, Homes England, the Department for Transport and local business contributions.
Safety improvements have been carried out at corner where numerous accidents have occurred in East Keal.
The council is looking into what else can be done to prevent motorists from coming off the road at Hall Corner, while police are looking into the possibility of fitting a speed camera.
A cement lorry recently overturned on the corner in February.
Lincolnshire County Council has found a slight dip in the road where Blacksmith Lane meets the A16 could be the reason why heavy vehicles travelling at excessive speed are tipping over.
It is considering whether to smooth out and realign the road, but says it is concious of the impact that closing the A16 would have on traffic and local businesses.
Several safety improvement measures have already been put in place, including ‘slow’ markings, enhanced bend warning signs and improved chevrons.
Problems have been found with the road surface on the corner. | Photo: Google Street View
Lincolnshire Police are assessing whether a speed camera on the corner would be beneficial, and will be taking speed readings in the coming weeks.
Larger barriers and longer safety fencing have been proposed by the public. However, the county council says that in order for it to be big enough to withstand the impact of overturned vehicles, the cost can’t be justified.
Either the local parish council or the country council could also explore whether to fund a reactive speed sign on the location.
Richard Davies, executive member for highways, said: “We are very thankful to the residents and members of the parish council who have given us their ideas and support in what can be done at Hall Corner. Local knowledge and personal feedback are cornerstones of what we do in terms of delivering the best solutions in the most informed way.
“There has already been much done at this bend to try and mitigate the issues faced and we now have more planned for this particular area that will go on to encourage all road users to drive accordingly in line with the road and conditions.
“I would like to thank everyone involved so far for their input. We will all work together to get the best resolution we can for Hall Corner.”
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