Tens of thousands of prisoners in England and Wales at risk of cell fires

About a quarter of prison places are unsafe, Ministry of Justice admits

The government has reneged on a pledge to make all prison cells fire-safe or take them out of use by the end of next year, meaning tens of thousands of prisoners in England and Wales will remain at risk.

The Ministry of Justice has admitted it has known for almost two decades that about a quarter of prison places are unsafe, putting the people housed in affected cells at risk.