Prisons chief 'asked to step aside' after officers' strike

The chief executive of HM Prison and Probation Service has been asked to step aside following recent strike action and a rise in prison violence.Michael Spurr will leave his role at the end of March 2019 after 35 years in the service and nearly nine years leading it.Justice Secretary David Gauke told Sky News yesterday that work needed to be done to improve the prison system amid a surge in violence and drug taking.