POLICE boss John Campion is working with prisoners at HMP Hewell in an attempt to reduce assaults on emergency workers.

Mr Campion recently visited the Tardebigge prison where he spoke with prisoners, staff and perpetrators of attacks as part of his Behind the Badge campaign, which aims to decrease the number of attacks on workers such as police and prison staff.

It is hoped that the findings from the visit will help reduce the number of attacks on emergency staff and encourage people to rethink their behaviour.

Mr Campion said: “I’m grateful for this opportunity to work with HMP Hewell and to learn from the experiences of prisoners and staff, supporting our common goal of wanting to protect those who protect us.

"Through our conversations we found that taking a human approach, to show the impact that violence can have on those on the frontline, can help us achieve our aim in changing the attitudes and behaviours of offenders."

Prisons Minister Rory Stewart said: “I am pleased to see the partnership between HMP Hewell and West Mercia Police in action. Violence against our hardworking staff is completely unacceptable and will never be tolerated."

He added the prison service is committed to keeping staff safe by providing body cameras and CCTV.

Almost 7,500 assaults against prison workers were reported over a 12-month period between June 2016 and 2017, according to figures released by the Ministry of Justice.

Mr Campion is calling for better protection of emergency staff and for staff to receive the same quality of treatment as other victims of crime.

For more on the campaign, follow #BehindTheBadge on Twitter.