ALMOST 250 prison places will be lost when the Government closes Lancaster Castle.
The Ministry of Justice announced that the historic prison will shut under plans to reduce the prison population in England and Wales by 3,000 over four years.
The latest figures show the current prison population is 82,991 - only 5,000 short of capacity.
The 243 inmates at Lancaster, which takes Category C criminals, will be moved elsewhere and staff will either be transferred to nearby prisons or invited to apply for voluntary redundancy.
It could close as early as March.
Justice secretary Kenneth Clarke said: “The decision to close any prison is a difficult one but one that we have had to make.
"Closing outdated and expensive prisons is an important step in our strategy to provide a secure and modern, fit-for-purpose prison estate, while improving efficiency and value for the taxpayer.”
Lancaster Castle is leased from Lancashire County Council while the land itself is owned by the Duchy of Lancaster.
Other plans to reduce prison numbers included allowing some foreign criminals to leave the UK instead of going to prison and handing more offenders fines or community sentences.
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