Prisons minister defends "sensible" book restrictions

Prisons Minister Jeremy Wright has defended regulations which prevent prisoners being sent books and other items.

Mr Wright told BBC Radio 5 live's Breakfast that the restrictions, which were introduced in November, were a "sensible" and "practical" way of preventing illicit items being smuggled in.

He added that prisoners would still be able to borrow books from the prison library and order books in.

However children's laureate Michael Rosen told the programme the measures were "crazy" and that reading enabled prisoners to empathise with others.