_(1).jpg) Northeye Campus in 2022, retaining many of the original prison buildings. | |
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| Coordinates | 50°50′52″N000°24′32″E / 50.84778°N 0.40889°E /50.84778; 0.40889 |
|---|---|
| Security class | Category C training prison |
| Opened | 1969 |
| Closed | 1992 |
| City | Bexhill-on-Sea |
| County | East Sussex |
| Country | England |
H.M. Prison Northeye was a prison located atBexhill-on-Sea,East Sussex,England which was in operation from 1969 to 1992.
The prison was formerly the site of aRoyal Air ForceMobile Radio Unit which housed reserve equipment for theChain Home radar station atPevensey. It subsequently became aradar station itself, but was decommissioned in 1964. It was subsequently opened as a Category C training prison in January 1969.[1]
It was one of the prisons which participated in theprison strike organised byPreservation of the Rights of Prisoners in 1972.[2]
In 1986, 40% of the prison was destroyed when 60 of the 450 inmates rioted in response to being locked in their cells for 23 hours a day during a Prison Officers' overtime ban.[3]
Following the prison's closure, the site was then used as a military training camp by theUnited Arab Emirates.
In May 2022, a local councillor said he had been told that the site had "been sold to house immigrants".[4] Whilst the sale was dismissed as misinformation at the time theLand Registry shows that it was bought by Brockwell Group Bexhill LLP in August 2022.
In March 2023, the Government announced that it planned to use the site to house asylum seekers.[5] A campaign group has been set up by local residents to oppose the camp.[6]