Prison staff on second unofficial strike

For the second time this week, many prison officers have failed to turn up for work in protest over the way in which the government has handled the IRA spy-ring controversy.

As many as 90% of all officers have stayed away and, as the walkout coincides with the firefighters strike, emergency cover will seriously stretched as a result of today's action. On Wednesday, up to 600 prison officers staged their first protest and there was major disruption to services with all visits to Maghaberry, Magilligan and Hydebank suspended for the day.

Detective Inspector Duncan McCausland was quick to reassure the public today that the police have the resources to cope at the moment.

"We have had a request to assist in the management of the prisons and we are cooperating with the prison authorities in relation to that," he said.

"Clearly, with the fire officers strike and with assistance required in the prisons it is putting a strain on police but we are coping. I want to reassure everyone that we will continue to provide the basic policing service the people in Northern Ireland want from us."

The Director General of the Prison Service, Peter Russell, has said that while he understood that the recent revelations were "a source of great anxiety", he reminded officers that strike action was illegal. Mr Russell also expressed his "deep sympathy with the anger and anxiety being felt by the staff".

On October 4, hundreds of police officers descended on addresses in north and west Belfast – as well as Sinn Fein's Stormont offices – as part of investigations into republican intelligence gathering and an alleged IRA spy ring at the Northern Ireland Office. A laptop seized during the raids was found to have held the names of staff serving in Magilligan, Maghaberry and the Maze as of autumn 2001. Some retired officers were also present on the list.

At this stage, of the 1,426 staff who are on the list, just over 900 have been informed. Prison officers have expressed their anger over what they describe as a lack of urgency being displayed by police and government in protecting prison staff.

All those who have been notified of the threat, will face a risk assessment and will automatically qualify for the Key Persons Protection Scheme under which grants of up to £25,000 can be handed out to applicants.

Mr Russell said that the police believe that there is no evidence that staff at Hydebank are under a similar threat.

(GMcG)