Campaigners cause 'chaos' with protest outside new £400m Yorkshire mega jail

Activists prevented construction workers from gaining access to the site of the Category C jail, which is next door to the maximum-security HMP Full Sutton, in East Yorkshire.

A £400m contract was awarded to construction company Kier for the prison for up to 1,440 men last year. The protest came a day after the Lords debated the Public Order Bill aimed at curbing guerrilla tactics used by protest groups.

The campaign group HS2 Rebellion said the demonstration was “an act of solidarity with the increasing numbers of protesters being sent to prison”.

They also oppose the building of the new jail for social, environmental and economic reasons.

Ward councillor Leo Hammond said: “Obviously people aren't happy about their lives being disturbed. It's bad enough having a prison you don't want built on your doorstep and then other people coming and making it even more difficult to get your kids to school.

“All they are doing now is adding to the stress and misery already being inflicted on our local community by this monstrous development. They should go home.”

The Category C jail, which will open in 2025, will be run by a private contractor.

Kier said they expect the site to operate as normal on Wednesday.

A spokesperson said: “Our number one priority is the safety of those on our site and we respect everyone’s right to a peaceful protest. This is now a police matter and Kier is co-operating fully to ensure any disruption to site operations or the local community is kept to a minimum.

“The new build prison will provide Category C prisoners with modern facilities, creating a safe and secure environment to encourage rehabilitation.”