What a shambles!

I knew 2007 would be an interesting year, still only in the first month and already things are going from bad to worse. Remember the crisis with there being no room left in prisons, and our heroic Home Secretary telling us all that the crisis was over?

Well guess what, it isn't, in fact it's worse than ever.

On Tuesday, places could not be found for up to 300 criminals. Police stations and even court cells are having to be used to accommodate prisoners with no place else to go.

However, it does appear that there is a solution and perhaps it is this that the Home Secretary is relying on to sort out the problem.

You see, yet another convicted murderer has absconded from Leyhill Open Prison, in South Gloucestershire. The man absconded during a "work placement" at a vinegar factory on Thursday morning at 10:06 a.m..

This is the same prison that has on average one prisoner a week escaping.
Of those that have already escaped, 22 were murderers, five had convictions for manslaughter, 24 were drug dealers, 57 had been convicted of robbery, seven of rape and 125 had committed burglary.

So there you have it, wait another few weeks Mr Reid and there will be plenty of places available in Britain's leaky prison system. Oh, and whilst your at it, get on the phone and arrange for additional migrant workers to go to Gloucestershire.

After all, it appears that the local industry is really struggling to recruit people.

Prisons are full to bursting point in new blow to Reid

Murderer absconds during work placement