SHADOW justice secretary Richard Burgon blasted the Tories for a “cuts-created crisis” in Britain’s prisons yesterday as Justice Secretary Liz Truss tried to respond to spiralling levels of violence in the system.

Ms Truss announced plans yesterday to recruit 2,500 extra prison officers in “a major overhaul of the system.”

She also announced further details of a £1.3 billion prison building programme, saying “reform simply cannot happen in decrepit jails.”

But Mr Burgon hit out at the pledge, saying that prison officer numbers have fallen by 6,000 since the Tories came to power — so promising 2,500 felt “a lot like too little, too late.”

Violent assaults in prisons rose by 35 per cent last year, including a 43 per cent increase in attacks on staff, with more than one in 10 causing serious injury. Prison Officers’ Association general secretary Steve Gillan said his union would be on a “collision course” with ministers until Ms Truss “deals with the here and now.

“Unless there is a foundation for stability to decrease violence in our prisons reform cannot and won’t work,” he warned.

“Unless there is a negotiated settlement on health and safety in each prison by November 11 then we as a trade union will take action to make our prisons safe.”

PCS, which represents more than 3,000 prison staff, welcomed the announcement but called for a review into safety.

General secretary Mark Serwotka said “recognition that there are not enough staff proves we were right to oppose cuts that have been shown to be dangerously misguided.”