Sadiq Khan MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, commenting on the continuing winter spike in prison numbers, said:

”Today’s figures show the prison population surging past 99 per cent of capacity for the first time this year - the level when police cells are put on standby

“Because of the Tories utter complacency, the prisons system is totally unprepared for the traditional winter ‘spike’ in the numbers locked up.

“At this rate, because of their sheer incompetence, Ministers will be desperately scratching around for spaces by the spring, and may have to resort to the expense of locking up dangerous and violent criminals in police station and court cells because of the failure of their policies.”