CASTLE HUNTLY open prison near Dundee was “locked down” following a breach of security involving a knife.

The Scottish Prison Service has confirmed it is conducting an investigation after the incident, which happened on Tuesday morning.

The security breach is thought to have involved a stolen kitchen knife from one of the prison kitchens, but reports of an assault and a prisoner absconding on Tuesday evening have been denied.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Prison Service said yesterday, “We can confirm that there was a security breach at Castle Huntly prison on Tuesday.”

Castle Huntly is one of two open prisons in Scotland and is a low security unit accommodating 150 category D adult male prisoners serving sentences from two years up to life.