UNION officials have confirmed the number of staff at Dartmoor Prison have been seriously reduced by the Covid-19 pandemic.

A spokeswoman for the Prisoner Officers Association said said there have been ‘very few’ prison officers available for duty at the Princetown prison for the last four to five weekends.

She said: ’I can confirm there is an ongoing outbreak at Dartmoor with a large amount of prisoners testing positive.

The outbreak is thought to have contributed to the large number of Covid-19 cases in the Dartmoor area. The latest statistics before Christmas revealed 65 cases from an area which takes in Princetown, Chagford and Postbridge along with Whiddon Down, Drewsteignton and also Lydford.

The spokeswoman continued: ‘Most of the operational prison staff at Dartmoor are POA members, but I do not know how many of them have contracted Covid-19.

’The difficulty is the requirement for staff to self isolate after contact (and) that is having a huge impact on the level of regime that can currently be offered to the prisoners there.

‘(During) the last four or five weekends there have been very few prison officers available, but the staff are doing their absolute best to continue to offer the basic requirements to prisoners - a shower, a phone call, exercise, food and medication.

’PPE is available and staff are being directed to wear surgical face masks for their shifts. Staff are required to wear further PPE when dealing with COVID-positive prisoners.’

She added: ’The local POA committee and the senior management team are working together to do their best and should all be commended for their efforts.’