Wellingborough prison: Public invited to pick the new jail's name

The new facility is being built on the site of the former prison in Wellingborough which closed in 2012

The Ministry of Justice has asked members of the public to come up with a name for a new £235m "mega prison" which began construction last month.

The prison in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, will be a category C jail for up to 1,680 criminals.

It is on the site of the old jail which closed in December 2012 because of its poor condition.

The government said name suggestions should "embrace the history and culture of Wellingborough".

The names will be narrowed down to a shortlist of potential options, with a panel of local representatives deciding on the final winner.

The name must then be formally agreed by The Queen, the Prisons Minister Lucy Frazer and Justice Secretary Robert Buckland.

Let the public name it - what could go wrong?

• A polar research ship was famously not named "Boaty McBoatface" after that suggestion topped a public vote, but instead it was called RRS Sir David Attenborough

• Suffolk Highways asked people at the Suffolk Show in May to suggest names for its 41 gritting lorries with winners including "SprEd Sheeran", "Grit Rhys Jones" and "Sir Melton John"

• A similar scheme in Shropshire ended up, inevitably, with "Gritty McGritface", alongside "Gritney Spears", "David Plowie" and "Usain Salt"

• An "unfortunate misunderstanding" led Line Of Duty star Vicky McClure to be ordered off a tram named in her honour after being accused of fare evasion in 2015

The misunderstanding happened after the naming ceremony

The prison will have several accommodation blocks with courtyard areas and central spaces for vocational training and also faith spaces.

It is hoped it will open in spring 2021.

In August, ground work had to be halted after protesters against the building of the prison gained access to the site.