Prisons bosses to blow £8MILLION of your cash on ‘vital’ project to buy top tellies to keep lags happy

PRISON chiefs are to replace lags’ old TVs with £8.4million worth of flatscreens.

They have agreed a budget so all 85,000 inmates get top tellies.

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Jails boss Alan Scott said it was vital to replace old sets.

He boasted the scheme was 31 months ahead of schedule.

Mr Scott, acting director of Public Sector Prisons, said it would help keep prisoners happy at times of stress.

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Assaults on staff are at a record high.

There were 5,954 in the 12 months to July — 367 of them rated as serious.

Glyn Travis, assistant secretary of the Prison Officers Association, said: “We recognise that prisoners should live in decent conditions, but surely protection from the threat of violence and intimidation should be first?

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“We need more prison officers now, not better TVs.”

Justice Secretary Liz Truss has promised an extra 2,100 officers.

Mr Travis said: “We won’t believe it until we see boots on the ground.”

A Prison Service spokesman said: “The cost of TV sets is recovered from offenders who have to pay to have them in their cells.”

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Inmates have access to TV only if they are well behaved.

It is understood the average rental charge is £1 a week.