Rochdale companies play a part in overcoming prison crisis

Two Rochdale building companies are playing a key role in the government's attempts to solve overcrowding in prisons.

The Ministry of Justice is working with a company in Humberside to erect prison blocks in double-quick time and the Rochdale companies are providing some of the components.
Guttermaster, based in Shawclough, are providing anti-climb drain pipes and gutters for the blocks, while Dibsa roofing, of Deeplish have developed a weather-proof roof that can be easily installed so the construction of the new prison blocks takes days rather than weeks.

Guttermaster managing director, Mike McKee, said: "A key security consideration was to prevent prisoners accessing the roof. Our anti-climb rainwater drainage pipes, deep fascias at eaves and verges and heavy duty internal ceilings will bar access and so make the cell blocks safer and more manageable."

The ceilings to the block are made from steel to prevent prisoners from getting onto the roof from inside the building.

The first prison block to be handed over was a 60 cell two-storey block at Kirklevington Prison near Yarm. A similar block at Lowestoft has recently been handed over and a third, at Rochester, is close to completion, with other locations to follow.

Mike McKee continued: "With growing pressure to expand capacity, a need to replace Victorian prisons and maintain high security, it is expected that the programme will accelerate further."