Prisoners' Facebook pages are removed

The move follows several incidents in which prisoners have put messages on the social networking website to intimidate their enemies.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw said he asked Facebook to take down the pages three weeks ago and the website had removed each one within 48 hours.

He added that the Government would look at changing parole rules to stop prisoners out on licence abusing websites.

"The abuse of social networking sites by prisoners is offensive to public morality and decency," Mr Straw said.

"Updating these sites from within prison is an offence under prison rules and using them to abuse victims is deplorable."

The Government was urged to act after Jade Braithwaite, jailed for knifing to death Ben Kinsella, 16, used Facebook to taunt his victim's family.

Underworld boss Colin Gunn's page was shut down after he used the internet to threaten his enemies while in a maximum security prison for conspiracy to murder.

The problem was discussed further on Wednesday, when Mr Straw held talks with victims' families, Facebook bosses and the communications watchdog, Ofcom.

Barry Mizen, whose son JImmy was murdered by Jake Fahri in May 2008, described the talks as "encouraging" but said he wanted to see Facebook being "more responsible".

"If you have to spend a bit more on monitoring, then you have just got to do it," he added.

A spokesman for the website said: "Facebook's rules ban users from harassment or intimidation.

"They also prohibit the creation of fake profiles and sharing profile access details with other people and we will remove accounts that violate these policies."