§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the donkey that escaped from Thorn Cross, Warrington young offender institution has been recaptured; how many personnel were involved in the search; what has been the cost of the search; and if he will make a statement. [16246]
§ Mr. Michael ForsythResponsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 31 March 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about a donkey that went missing from the grounds of Thorn Cross Young Offender Institution.On the morning of 13 March staff discovered that one of two donkeys held in a paddock near Thorn Cross was missing. Four members of staff spent approximately 30 minutes searching in and near the institution for the donkey but failed to find it.The local police were informed as a precaution against the stray donkey becoming a hazard on the nearby motorway.A short while later the police notified Thorn Cross that the donkey had been put into a field, earlier that morning, about one mile away from the prison by a passing motorist. The donkey was subsequently collected and returned to the paddock.This incident involved five prison staff at an approximate cost of £75 plus the services of the local police.The two donkeys are cared for by inmates on behalf of Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary and are visited by local handicapped children and other school children.