Investigation after Jacqui Smith’s home painted by prisoners

Former home secretary Jacqui Smith has admitted using day-release prisoners to paint her home.

Two inmates, from HMP Hewell in Redditch, spent two days decorating a room at the former Labour MP’s home in the Worcestershire town.

A Prison Service spokesman said the offenders were supposed to be doing work to “help the whole community” as part of a scheme run by a local charity, the Batchley Support Group.

He said: “The decision to provide prisoners for this work was taken without consultation with HMP Hewell or the Ministry of Justice and was a mistake.

The spokesman added that the scheme has been suspended while a full internal investigation is carried out.

Ms Smith has defended using the prisoners to paint her home, claiming they “didn’t have anything else on”.

She admitted that two inmates from HMP Hewell in Redditch did some decorating at her property, but said it was part of their work experience.

“On one day, when actually they didn’t have anything else on, they did come to my house and do three hours-worth of painting, for which me and my husband made a donation to the community group,” she explained.

A spokeswoman for Batchley Support Group said neither its staff nor Ms Smith were aware of restrictions on what kind of work the offenders could be given.

But she added that the charity accepted that the arrangement “may not have been the best use of prisoners’ time”.

The spokesperson said: “It should be pointed out that the donation made for the work has enabled Batchley Support Group to carry out much-needed work in the community.”