Prison officer arrested over alleged misconduct

A prison officer at a privately-run male prison in Staffordshire has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

West Midlands Police said the arrest of the 49-year-old woman came after an investigation by the Regional Organised Crime Unit for the West Midlands.

The woman, who works at HMP Dovegate near Uttoxeter, remained in custody awaiting questioning, the force added.

The prison, run by Serco, is a Category B facility with a population of 1,060 male inmates over the age of 21.

"Serco is proud of the officers we employ at HMP Dovegate who carry out a challenging role with professionalism and care," a spokesperson for the company said.

"We have a zero tolerance approach to any individuals who fail to meet the standards we expect and on those rare occasions when one of our officers falls short of the required standards, we work closely with the police to investigate the issue fully and when necessary take appropriate action."

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