CAMPAIGNERS fighting to stop Dover’s Connaught Barracks becoming an open prison have one last opportunty to convince the Home Office to scrap the move.

Home Secretary John Reid has confirmed that he will see a delegation from Dover, including MP Gwyn Prosser and representatives of the district council who have been vehemently protesting against the prison.

Dover is still waiting for a clear announcement on what exactly will happen to Connaught Barracks and Mr Prosser indicated yesterday that this would happen after a delegation had met with Mr Reid.

Last week, prisons minister Gerry Sutcliffe visited Dover and the Connaught Barracks site, where campaigners presented him with a 12,000 signature petition against the prison.

But news over the weekend has left it clear that Home Office are presiding over a huge crisis in prison overcrowding.

Figures released in England and Wales showed prison places were just 125 short of the official limit and Mr Reid has announced that as a short-term measure, he is considering measures to hold prisoners in police cells.

A leaked memo has also suggested that the Government is considering moving more inmates to open prisons. According to the memo, reported in the Sunday Times, Mr Reid accepts that the abscond rate from open prisons could go up.

The Government is also said to be considering a re-classification of prisoners, which could see category C prisoners downgraded to Category D, which are deemed suitable for open prisons.

Dover campaigner, Julia Bishop, said it was the issue of re-classification which was worrying people in Dover.

"If Connaught Barracks becomes a prison, with everything we are hearing nationally about prison overcrowding, will we really know what type of offenders will be sent here?" she asked.