THE Prison Officers Association (POA) said it was prepared to take “any action” to tackle government inaction on record violence in jails at its annual conference today.

Deputy general secretary Mick Pimblett said that the union had put ministers “on notice” after members were left fighting for their lives in HMP Frankland following an alleged attack by Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi last month.

He accused the government of “refusing to listen” to evidence of rising violence in jails presented to it by the POA.