Jail chiefs in hot water over staff sauna spending

Prison chiefs have sparked anger after spending £850 of public cash fixing a staff sauna at a tough jail.

Fed-up staff at HMP Barlinnie called in a repair worker after the button on the wardens-only staff sauna broke.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) was charged £714.75 plus VAT for the repair.

Eben Wilson of Taxpayer Scotland said: “Is the prison service about monitoring and controlling prisoners or some sort of leisure camp for those who work there?

“This smacks of a lack of care for the taxpayers’ money being spent.”

The May 19 repair was carried out during a period when the jail was overrun with an ant infestation. Pest control workers attended on several occasions dealing with ants in one single disabled cell twice in two weeks.

One SPS insider said: “recreational perks make up for the working conditions they endure.

“People forget how stressful and dangerous it can be working in a prison,” he said.

Last night an SPS spokeswoman said: “Our aim is to maintain a high standard of hygiene across HMP Barlinnie, whilst some buildings are ageing and managing a large population.

“At times we are required to contract in services to manage pest control issues.”