THE Ministry of Justice said today it had taken over the running of Lowdham Grange in Nottinghamshire and brought in a new governor to improve the prison’s safety and security.

Warnings about conditions at the category-B Sodexo-run jail were made by the prisons watchdog earlier this year.

Inspectors found the 800-man prison in a state of turmoil in May after the handover from another private contractor, Serco: “The fallout from this was affecting almost every aspect of prison life, with significant staff shortages and rising levels of self-harm, violence and disruptive behaviour,” according to the findings in August.