Prison bosses have drawn up plans to make Leyhill Open Prison the first penal institution in Britain to have its own working arts centre.

The centre will provide several artistic activities for the South Gloucestershire-based prison's 400-plus inmates, including painting, ceramics and wood turning.

The new arts centre, which will cost between �50,000 - �60,000, will be housed at nearby Tortworth, in a building previously used to display Leyhill's collection of antique farming machinery.

The collection, consisting of vintage tractors and other agricultural vehicles, will be auctioned later this month to fund the centre's start-up costs.

We shall have a range of crafts stations with prisoners demonstrating their skills to visitors and selling what they produce

Jeff Goundrill, head of enterprises

Jeff Goundrill, Leyhill's head of enterprises, said the centre would open by Easter 2003.

"Prisoners are often very capable men who are locked up for years on end. They can learn and develop skills that perhaps will help them get work in the future," he said.

"We are tempering offending behaviour with a creative outlet and getting rid of frustrations as well."

The prison has 150 long-term prisoners who spend up to three to four years there being assessed before being re-assimilated into the outside world.

Mr Goundrill said inmates would be permitted to sell their work to visitors.

"We shall have a range of crafts stations with prisoners demonstrating their skills to visitors and selling what they produce," he said.

Staff 'had no clear idea of their role'

"The sale will kick-start the plan but we will also be applying to the arts council for grants," said Mr Goundrill.

"We want to tie the centre in with the Tortworth Arboretum to make a permanent sculpture trail to open next year when the spring flowers are out."

In March this year the prison was criticised by inspectors for failing to prepare inmates properly for release.

The government's chief inspector of prisons, Anne Owers, visited the prison in September 2001, and concluded it had "lost direction".

Her report said too little was being done to help inmates prepare for the pressures of life outside.

It also said staff had no clear idea of their role.