Erlestoke Prison farm shop has opened its doors to visitors and passers by..

The farm shop, in the grounds of the prison car park, is offering fresh produce grown and harvested by the inmates as well as a selection of hand crafted woodworking.

To celebrate the opening yesterday, governor Steve Hodson, his wife and organiser of the shop Janine Hodson, High Sheriff Sarah Gooch and volunteers who will help run the shop all attended to cut the ribbon.

Mr Hodson said: “It is excellent to have this farm shop here, as well as providing the men with something to do it is providing them with work opportunities and experience.

"It helps them gain qualifications which means when they are released it helps with rehabilitation and employment.

“The shop was open five years ago then closed. I saw so much potential and needed volunteers, we are very lucky that we have managed to galvanize volunteers to make this possible.

"This is a way of getting involved with the community.”

The shop, which will be open Thursdays to Saturdays, 10am-4pm, is also taking orders for woodworking.

Mrs Hodson said: “We have already sold over £200 worth of handmade crafts before we officially opened.

"There is such a good mix of garden plants, fresh produce and bespoke hand-crafted items.”

All of the produce is grown on the Erlestoke Manor Nursery, built on the grounds of the Erlestoke Manor, by the men in the prison, then harvested and sent directly to the shop.

Lynda Wearn, a trustee of the prison, said: “All of what you see is made by the prisoners and sold at competitive prices.

"The men are very talented and all of the profits go to buying more materials, anything left over will be used to fund projects to help rehabilitate the men. We have had people come in who just happened to be driving past.”