ONE of the south's oldest prisons is undergoing a transformation aimed at making it a safer place.

More than £16m is being spent on Winchester Prison in the next few years in a bid to modernise and refurbish the Victorian building.

Central to that work will be the transformation of 32 cells into "safer custody cells" which aim to prevent suicides and self-harm among inmates.

The new cells are designed so that there is nowhere from where a noose or rope can be hung.

None of the fittings are removable, self-harm on light switches or alarms is prevented, and taps have been replaced by buttons.

In the first round of refurbishment, more than £1m was spent on refitting the prison health centres.

Next will be the prison blocks themselves, with work due to start on C-wing next year.

Other plans for the site include a redesigned entrance to make access for pedestrians easier. Heating in West Hill - the female prison - will be overhauled, IT sources will be replaced and two new libraries will be installed.

It will be the first time in more than a decade that such an investment programme has been put in place.

The last time such money was invested in the prison was 15 years ago after rioting in May 1990 over what prisoners said was brutality at the jail.

Prison governor Jim Gommersall said: "I'm heartened by the commitment that has been shown in the future of this site and I'm especially grateful to the staff of the prisons for delivering beyond expectation over the past two years, which prompted others to invest.

"This is the first time this prison has seen such investment since the early 1990s when remedial action had to be taken following the disturbances."