Tories pledge to build 50,000 new prison places

The Conservatives have promised to build 50,000 new prison places in England and Wales to stop criminals being released early, if they return to government.

The party said it would cost £2bn per year to build and run the new prisons, funded by spending cuts including to the foreign aid budget.

On Thursday hundreds of prisoners were released early , under new rules introduced to prevent jails reaching capacity, with around 4,500 due to be freed by next summer.

Labour blamed the previous Tory government for leaving "our criminal justice system at breaking point" and said the party's proposals were not "credible".

The announcement comes as Conservative members gather for the party's annual conference in Birmingham, which begins on Sunday.

Prisons in England and Wales have been running close to capacity for years, with the latest government figures showing they are 98% full.

Under the latest early release scheme, eligible prisoners can now be released on a community licence after serving one-third of their jail sentence.

Those excluded include prisoners convicted of murder, manslaughter, a sexual or grooming-related offence, or a driving offence that led to a death.