Head of the prison service sacked amid growing concerns over rise of violence in jails

The head of the prison service has been sacked amid growing concerns over the rise of violence in jails.

Michael Spurr, who has served as the chief executive of HM Prisons and Probation Service for nine years, was told to step aside to allow for a "change in direction".

Richard Heaton, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice, asked Mr Spurr to step down and said: " We now need to look ahead, building on Michael’s work and developing a strategy for the next decade. I have therefore decided that April 2019 is the right time to ask a new chief executive to take on this important role.” 

Mr Spurr, who has worked for the prison service for 35 years, will remain in the job until late March 2019. A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said it will start looking for a replacement next month.

Mr Heaton and David Gauke, the Justice Secretary, praised Mr Spurr’s record, despite the recent problems. 

Mr Gauke said: "I am extremely grateful to Michael Spurr for his leadership of HMPPS. His focus has been unwavering on doing the best for his staff and for victims of crime, on discipline in the prison estate and on caring for and rehabilitating offenders."

Last month, the prisons service was forced to take control of Birmingham Prison from G4S, the private contractor, after it was declared the most violent facility in England and Wales by Peter Clarke, the chief prisons inspector. 

Earlier this year, Mr Clarke said conditions found during an inspection of Liverpool Prison were the worst inspectors had ever found.