ANYONE found guilty of assaulting a prison officer must lose their right to walk out of prison early, an MP has said.

Shipley MP Philip Davies said prison officers must feel safe at work and their safety must be made a priority, not the rights of criminals.

Speaking in Justice Questions he said: “Isn’t it about time the government changed the law so anyone who was guilty of assaulting a prison officer lost their automatic right to early release, thereby acting as a huge deterrent to this appalling activity and giving the prison officers the support they deserve?”

Justice Minister Lucy Frazer said the government has raised the sentence in relation to assaults on prison staff and is continuing to look at this matter.

Ms Frazer also praised Mr Davies for raising many issues relating to the justice system.