CORNTON Vale women’s prison has recorded the highest number of assaults on staff of any jail in Scotland.

New figures show that the total number of assaults on prison staff in Scottish jails reported to police rose to 212 last year, from 170 in 2015. There were 112 in 2011.

Of last year's assaults, 46 were at the all-female Cornton Vale in Stirling. The most recorded at a men’s jail was a 29, at the new Grampian prison in Peterhead, closely followed by Perth with 28.

Cornton Vale was built in 1975 and has capacity for up to 119 inmates. It is scheduled to close next year with a new national prison for women to be built nearby.

Andy Hogg, of the Prison Officers Association Scotland, said: “I am glad to see that the Scottish Prison Service routinely reports assaults to police.

“However, the union want to ensure that procurators fiscal take such reports seriously and prosecute in the courts rather than determine that it may not be in the public interest.”

The Scottish Prison Service said: “We recognise the importance of providing a safe environment for our staff and it’s our policy that all assaults on staff are reported to the appropriate authorities.”