The chairman of the Prison Officers' Association has said officers have not received enough help from the government after some of their names were found on a suspected IRA list.

Finlay Spratt said officers may take to the streets in protest.

Finlay Spratt: "The prison officers are angry"

A special police unit was set up to warn those whose names appear on a list seized during an investigation of alleged IRA intelligence gathering.

The discovery was made during raids in north and west Belfast and Stormont on 4 October.

Later, the Prison Officers' Association said they feared 2,000 names, addresses and telephone numbers of officers may be on the list.

Speaking on Friday, Mr Spratt said: "The prison officers and their families are angry with the management of Northern Ireland Prison Service.

"They are totally not up to the job. They are totally incapable and they have done nothing to protect our members.

"And if we need to come onto the street to protest and to highlight our situation then we will do that as necessary."

In February, a medal to recognise the bravery of staff in the Northern Ireland Prison Service throughout the Troubles was unveiled.

A total of 29 staff have been murdered and many others injured and intimidated over the past 30 years.