Nicotine patches for prisoners to quell trouble after smoking ban takes hold

Prison service chiefs fear inmates could become violent if they are denied cigarettes when a national ban on lighting up in public places starts on July 1.

Patches costing at least £1 each will be provided to try to calm prisoners who will not be able to smoke in the vans taking them to court.

They will also not be allowed to use tobacco in the cells where they are held before and after trials and sentencing.

These areas will be covered by the ban on smoking in places of work, public enclosed spaces and public vehicles.

Those prisoners who smoke --around four out of five - will still be able to do so in their cells as these are classed as their homes.

Instructions to jail governors include the advice to provide free patches to prisoners likely to spend many hours where they cannot light up.

"These prisoners will otherwise experience a period of nicotine withdrawal," say the guidelines.

"For heavier smokers in particular, the withdrawal may be quite severe, resulting in increased anxiety, stress and possible hostile or destructive behaviours."

Patches should ease the pangs of nicotine withdrawal for smokers for 16 hours, long enough to cover most trips to and from court.

The rules will not apply to prisoners under 18, for whom all smoking will be banned.

The Home Office said that a ban on all lighting up has already been applied in some youth offender institutions.

Prison staff will also be barred from smoking when the ban extends to England and Wales.

To protect them from passive smoking, officers will be allowed to order prisoners to stub out cigarettes and open the window before they enter cells.