REVEALED - What prisoners in the North East and County Durham have on Christmas Day

From roasts with all the trimmings to fudge cake and fruit

Author: Sophie GreenPublished 19th Dec 2024

Roast turkey with all the trimmings, diced pepper casserole, smoked haddock fishcakes and vegan wellington.

Sound delicious doesn't it - this is what prisoners around the North East and Teesside will sit down to on Christmas Day.

In menus, exclusively given to us, we've seen what murderers, sex offenders and all other criminals will be having for their festive lunch.

Serial killers like Rose West, Levi Bellfield and Lucy Letby will get plenty of choice for mains and dessert.

Here’s a look at the menus from 2023 in our prisons, these have been mocked up for illustrative purposes, but the content of the menus are 100% genuine.

In a time when households around our region are struggling with bills and choosing between heating, eating or Christmas presents Marie Burnett the poverty prevention team leader at the Key Community food bank said: "When you think there's so many families and households that wouldn't be able to provide that for themselves, it's quite shocking isn't it.

"It does seem a little unfair, doesn't it."

A Government spokesperson said: “The mass dependence on foodbanks is unacceptable – that’s why we’ve extended the Household Support Fund again to help struggling families with the cost of essentials.

“Alongside this, we are increasing the National Living Wage, uprating benefits and helping over one million households by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions, while our Child Poverty Taskforce develops an ambitious strategy to give all children the best start in life.”

They also say prisons are allocated £2.70 per prisoner per day to spend on three meals, averaging 90p per meal. Prison Rules require that prisoners are provided with three meals a day that are varied, nutritious and meet the religious, cultural, and medical needs of all.

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