Keeping prison closed 'crazy', says Tory deputy

The decision to keep a prison closed due to concerns over the levels of a naturally occurring, radioactive gas at the site has been described as "crazy" by the deputy leader of the Conservatives.

Alex Burghart said reopening Dartmoor Prison would free up hundreds of cells. It closed in 2024 after elevated levels of radon gas were discovered.

He believes the 600-capacity jail could help ease overcrowding and reduce the need to release prisoners early to free up space.

The Prison Service said it continued to "consider the safety and practicality" of re-opening the jail and would "make a decision on the site in due course".

A Health and Safety Executive investigation found staff and inmates had been exposed to radiation above legal limits for a prolonged period.

Monitoring carried out in 2020 recorded radon levels of 2,988 becquerels per cubic metre in the prison kitchen, almost 10 times the legal limit. The average level in UK homes is about 20 becquerels per cubic metre.

Burghart said he was surprised the prison remained shut while ministers struggled to find enough cells elsewhere.

"I mean, it's absolutely shocking to discover that Dartmoor Prison, one of the largest prisons in the country, is currently closed," he told BBC Radio Cornwall.

He did not think the radon levels were justification for the ongoing closure.

He said: "Well, it's exactly the same radon that everyone living in the area is exposed to all of the time. And so I think the idea that it can't be used for a prison is just for the birds. I think it's a crazy argument.

"That's about 700 places you could free up in one go."

The comments come as the government releases hundreds of prisoners early under a new scheme designed to relieve pressure on prisons that are close to full capacity.

Burghart also suggested the government should consider renting prison places from other European countries while longer-term solutions were developed.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: "We continue to consider the safety and practicality of re-opening HMP Dartmoor and will make a decision on the site in due course – one which prioritises the highest possible value for taxpayers' money."

Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: "People who live and work in prisons should not be exposed to dangerous levels of radon gas that can cause lung cancer.

"The decision to close Dartmoor was the right one."

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