LANCASTER prison officers took industrial action for the first time ever this week amid fears over jail privatisations.

Staff took the extraordinary step of attending a union meeting rather than starting work on Wednesday morning to discuss their fears that more prisons could be taken over by private companies like Group 4.

Members of the Prison Officer's Association (POA) at Lancaster Castle and Lancaster Farms Young Offenders Institution were due to start work at 7.30am but instead began a union meeting outside the prison gates. Lancaster Farm workers did not return to work until 9am.

Theunion meetings were called as prison officers are banned from going on strike.

David Phelan, a POA representative at Lancaster Farms, said: "We are not known as a militant prison who cause trouble, and prison officers are so professional that we would not be inclined to go on strike even if we could.

"However, we have already withdrawn our goodwill and we are awaiting guidance from our national executive on what we will do next. This shows just how concerned our members are. We are annoyed because our colleagues' jobs are threatened, basically, because of management incompetence."

Mr Phelan said that although Lancaster Farms has been praised by the Chief Inspector of Prisons, he feared that it could face a privatisation threat in the future.

He added: "Even though the Chief Inspector of Prisons was here recently and gave us a glowing report, we are not totally comfortable."

The move follows the announcement of plans to 'market test' Brixton Jail in London, with the prison's current management and staff forced to bid against private sector competitors.

A prison service spokesperson said: "We can confirm that there was full POA action at Lancaster Castle and Lancaster Farms Young Offenders Institution. A skeleton staff remained in place from 7.30am to 8.30am."