Overweight bullied prisoners to get free personal trainers

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Prison bosses are anxious obese inmates are being 'socially excluded' because they cannot exercise with other inmates.

To slim them down they have hired dozens of health trainers to give killers and robbers a free fitness assessment followed by individual exercise routines.

At one jail, prisoners will even be encouraged to become personal trainers themselves. The bill for the programme, rolled out at 25 of Britain's toughest jails, is believed to be £400,000.

Critics slammed it as 'ridiculous'. Tory MP Andrew Rosindell said: "Why are these people getting personal trainers?

"If they want them to lose weight give them vegetables instead of pies.

"Taxpayers will be outraged the prisoners are getting special treatment. Personal trainers cost a fortune in the real world."

The Prison Service claims the scheme will reduce the number of inmates suffering from diabetes, heart problems and hypertension.

Prisoners will get on to the scheme after being referred by doctors.

Along with the personal trainers, other therapies will include alternative holistic therapies instead of medication.

Sara Moore, national coordinator for the Exercise on Prescription programme, said: "Those who are very sedentary can often suffer social exclusion.

"The implications of getting someone to exercise can improve their mental health and happiness as well as their physical well-being."

Niall Almond, who runs the programme at Everthorpe Prison, East Yorks, added: "We've had some really good success stories".

Prisoners at Swinfen Hall Young Offender Institution in Staffordshire will be encouraged to become personal trainers themselves.

A Prison Service spokeswoman said: "The programme takes up no extra resources. The Prison Services encourages and facilitates physical education and team sports in every prison.

"As a means of promoting team-work, self-confidence, leadership, resilience, and individual and collective achievement it is a vital tool in the rehabilitation of offenders."

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