Reading Prison: Jail back up for sale despite arts hub campaign

Banksy's artwork on a wall of the jail shows a prisoner escaping on a rope made of bedsheets, tied to a typewriter

A disused prison chosen by Banksy for his latest artwork has been put back on the market despite a campaign to turn it into an arts centre.

Reading Borough Council's bid to revamp Reading Gaol was rejected by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) last month.

Deputy leader Tony Page said the building had been relisted despite the MoJ insisting its £2.6m offer remained on the table.

The MoJ said it would seek the best value for taxpayers.

Oscar Wilde was held at the jail following his conviction over his affair with Lord Alfred Douglas

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Page accused the MoJ of proceeding with the sale in a "regrettable" way.

"They have told us our £2.6m bid for the jail remains on the table throughout this process, so they have gone back out inviting bids until the 13 August.

"I'm wanting to emphasise to the MoJ... that inflated bids for the jail are all dependent on stuffing loads of extra residential around the jail and almost completely dwarfing it.

"Bids that have been made in the past reflecting inflated prices are based on that premise, and that is not simply acceptable."

An MoJ spokeswoman said: "Any sale will seek the best value for taxpayers and be reinvested into the justice system, while ensuring planning requirements for the historic site are met."

She added the MoJ would "engage with prospective buyers to ensure the prison's unique value is retained as much as possible".

The council posted details of its proposal on its website

In May, the council said it was "extremely disappointed" its bid, which has been backed by Hollywood stars including Kate Winslet, was not "high enough monetary value" for the MoJ.

It was the second time the government department had rejected a bid from the authority for the prison.

Protective screens have been placed on the wall of the prison that was adorned with the graffiti of street artist Banksy.

The picture shows a prisoner - possibly resembling famous inmate Oscar Wilde - escaping on a rope made of bedsheets, tied to a typewriter.

It appeared at the site in March, though it was later defaced with red paint.

The prisoner artwork is said to represent playwright and poet Oscar Wilde who was held at the prison

Wilde was held at the prison between 1895 and 1897, after his affair with Lord Alfred Douglas was exposed.

The jail was immortalised in Wilde's poem Ballad of Reading Gaol, which reflected on the brutality of the Victorian penal system.

The building has been derelict since 2013 and was first put up for sale by the government in 2019.