Alcock accused in prison row

COUNCILLOR Mark Alcock.

Liberal Democrat candidate Mark Alcock has been accused of lies and scaremongering after his election leaflet raised the issue of a prison for Chadderton.

There was outrage in spring after the Ministry of Justice refused to rule out land between Foxdenton Lane and Ferney Field, near to Radclyffe School and parkland, being used for a jail after it appeared on a list of 76 proposed sites.

The idea has resurfaced in an election leaflet which was delivered to the home of Chadderton South Labour Councillor Dave Hibbert, who crossed swords over the issue with the fellow Oldham Councillor Alcock last year.

Councillor Alcock, who is challenging Labour candidate Michael Meacher for the Oldham West and Royton seat at the general election on May 6, is pictured on the leaflet with Liberal Democrat shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne.

A headline reads ‘No to Chadderton Prison.’

Councillor Hibbert said: “This is scaremongering and lies. Michael Meacher has published a letter from the Minister of State, Maria Eagle, saying there are no proposals for a prison.

“He is frightening the people of Chadderton by raising this again.”

In November, a letter from Maria Eagle to Mr Meacher said: “I can say that the Foxdenton Lane site would not be considered suitable by the National Offender Management Service for development as a new prison.”

But at the time a Ministry of Justice spokesman refused to rule out the site, and Councillor Alcock accused Labour’s left hand of not knowing what the right hand was doing.

Councillor Alcock, fighting to overturn Mr Meacher’s 10,454 majority, said today: “The Ministry of Justice have not completely ruled out the Chadderton site. The review is not completed until after this month.”

Last year Justice Secretary Jack Straw announced that five new prisons each for 1,500 inmates were planned, and named the first two in London and Chelmsford, Essex.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman added: “There are no current plans for prisons on any of the sites listed other than those named by the Justice Secretary in Parliament on April 27, 2009.”

Catch up with the candidates at www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/elections/