SCOTTISH MSPs have been urged to back a return to retirement at 60 for prison officers.

A review by Lord Hutton in 2011 raised their retirement age from 60 to 68 in what their union, the Prison Officers Association (POA), believes was an error gone uncorrected.

The POA is now calling on the Scottish government to both lobby its UK counterparts for officers’ retirement to be aligned with other uniformed services or to use devolved powers to allow Scottish officers to leave at 60 without detriment.

Assistant general secretary Phil Fairlie said: “Rising prisoner numbers that aren’t matched by an increase in staff, alongside increasing levels of violence against staff and prisoners, places an intolerable toll on our members.

“Expecting people to work in such a challenging and stressful environment with an increasingly complex and difficult mix in our prison populations until nearing their 70th year is not good for staff or prisoners.

“It lacks credibility and is downright dangerous. We are urging all of the political parties to support the ‘68 is Too Late’ campaign.”

The Scottish government was contacted for comment.