Woman who works at HMP Kirkham is arrested for misconduct along with former prisoner

The 30-year-old was arrested at her home in Southport on Tuesday (August 10) by officers from the Regional Prison Intelligence Unit at the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit.

She was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office and taken to a local police station for questioning. She has since been released under investigation.

The Prison Service said the woman has been suspended from her job pending the outcome of the police investigation.

A former prisoner, a 27-year-old man from Brighton, has also been arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting misconduct in a public office.

He has since been recalled to prison after breaching his license.

Detective Inspector Tanya Kitchen from NWROCU said: "We can confirm that following a joint investigation between Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service Counter Corruption Unit and NWROCU, a former female contractor working at HMP Kirkham has been arrested this week.

"Corruption of any kind will not be tolerated and we continue to work closely in partnership to ensure anyone who breaks the rules is brought to justice.

"We would like to encourage members of staff working at prisons to report anyone they suspect are involved corrupt activity, so that we can act on it immediately and put offenders before the courts."

A Prison Service spokesman added: "A member of staff has been suspended pending a police investigation."

Last month, a prison officer at HMP Garth in Leyland was arrested on suspicion of the same offence (misconduct in a public office).

The 24-year-old woman has been suspended from her job pending the outcome of the police investigation.

The North West Regional Organised Crime Unit said her arrest follows an investigation between detectives and prison officials into alleged corruption at the prison.

Detectives have not said whether the two arrests at HMP Kirkham and HMP Garth are part of the same investigation.

The Ministry of Justice has been approached for further details.

What is The North West Regional Organised Crime Unit?

Established in 2009, the unit is a collaboration between the six North West Police Forces in Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Cumbria, Merseyside and North Wales.

It is made up of officers and staff from across the region who offer specialist skills and resources to tackle serious and organised crime in the region. 

The unit says its mission is to "identify, disrupt and dismantle organised crime groups causing the most harm to the North West".

"We do this by working with our partners to gather intelligence, cracking the most serious and organised crime networks and then seizing the assets of the criminals involved," the unit says on its website.