Police chiefs are told to make fewer arrests and to suspend operations where a 'large number' of suspects could be detained - in a bid to save ease pressure on overcrowded jails

Police have been told to make fewer arrests to save space in overcrowded prisons, it was reported last night.

A leaked memo by the National Police Chiefs' Council has advised Chief Constables to consider putting off 'non-priority arrests' and to suspend operations that would see a 'large number of arrests'.

Sources described non-urgent arrests as cases where operations could be arranged for a later date, such as investigating CCTV footage or forensics.

It comes as British prisons face an overcrowding crisis, triggered by the backlog in court cases, barristers strikes and tougher sentencing laws.

In the last recorded year, the prison population increased by 5,200 as capacity in England and Wales became overstretched.

Police have been urged to arrest fewer people in a bid to ease pressure at overcrowded jails. a leaked memo to cops from the National Police Chiefs' Council has show (file image)

The memo said: 'Consideration is to be given to pausing non-priority arrests and any planned operations where large numbers of arrests may take place to ease the pressure within the criminal justice system.

'Notwithstanding public protection remains a priority and a considered threat, harm and risk assessment is to be completed when considering any pause in police operations.'

Police sources clarified that arrests at large-scale protests or events would not be deprioritised.

An internal letter from the NPCC to chief constables in England and Wales described the move as having an 'unsustainable operational impact on policing.'

Alongside other recent emergency measures, the memo was accused of risking public safety and limiting frontline policing.

Under another measure, Operation Early Dawn, bail hearings will be delayed from Wednesday, keeping defendants in police cells until space is available in prison.

Defendants will be kept in police custody cells to combat overcrowding.

Police have been asked to arrest fewer people in a bid to ease pressure of overcrowded jails like Wandsworth (pictured)

The Ministry of Justice says it expects cells in prisons to free up as early as Thursday due to a third emergency measure which will see some prisoners released up to 70 days early.

The measures were described as 'temporary stopgaps' by the Prison Officers Association and the Prision Governor's Assocation.

Gavin Stephens, NPCC chairman, said: 'We are working closely with criminal justice system partners to manage demand in the system and ensure that the public are safe.

'Policing will always arrest anyone that they need to in order to keep the public safe, including policing protests and events and ensuring that people are arrested as expected.'

A Government spokesman said: 'Public safety will always be our first priority. That is why we have backed our police with the officers and resources they need to keep our streets safe and are introducing new laws to lock up the most dangerous offenders for longer while delivering the biggest prison expansion programme in 100 years.

'We continue to see pressure on our jails following the impact of the pandemic and barristers' strike and have initiated a previously used operational measure to securely transfer prisoners between courts and custody.'