Saughton Prison inspector given Royal award

AN INSPECTOR responsible for policing Saughton Prison has been presented with an award at Buckingham Palace.

Irene Ralston is the inspector for Wester Hailes and has the Capital jail as part of her beat.

She has led the force’s Prison Watch – a campaign which aims to tackle offences ­committed in the prison, since February 2011.

The scheme has seen a number of people charged, including for possession of contraband and drug offences.

Insp Ralston and her colleagues Derek McLeod and Kevin Dodd from HMP Edinburgh, and Martin Birrell from the Scottish Prison Service, were given the award by the Princess Royal on behalf of the Butler Trust. The trust’s annual awards are the most sought after honours for people working in UK correctional settings. Insp Ralston said: “Lothian and Borders Police, HMP ­Edinburgh and the Scottish Prison Service have had an excellent working relationship for many years and through our continued partnership work, we are able to provide a robust deterrent for criminal activity within the prison.”