UK to ease prison overcrowding as more rioters jailed

The UK government has activated emergency measures to ease prison overcrowding as more rioters are being sentenced for their role in recent unrest, Report informs referring to BBC.

Across the north of England defendants waiting for a court appearance will be kept in police cells until prison space is available.

The system, known as Operation Early Dawn, was activated on Monday morning. It was previously used by the Conservative government in May.

The government said that its action to "tackle violent thuggery on our streets" has "exacerbated longstanding capacity issues in our prisons".

Prisons in the North East and Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lancashire, and Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire regions will be affected.

More than 1,000 people have been arrested in connection with violent disorder following riots in England and Northern Ireland earlier this month, according to the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC).

The riots erupted following misinformation after three girls were killed in Southport.

The Crown Prosecution Service says more than 470 people have been charged with offences so far.