A new training restaurant run by prisoners looks set to open at HMP Berwyn.

Fred Sirieix, of Channel 4 show First Dates, spoke about the project on the Lorraine show earlier this week.

He explained his charity The Right Course had so far worked with three prisons across the UK and is soon to begin working with Berwyn.

Mr Sirieix said: "I started working with disadvantaged kids around five years ago and I had the idea to set up a new charity to transform the staff mess in prisons into training restaurants - restaurants you'd see on the high street.

"The prisoners run the restaurant, they run the front of house and they cook. The customers are the staff of the prison.

READ MORE: HMP Berwyn is 'Competently run, but needs improvement'

"Between 40 and 60 per cent of people reoffend when they leave prison, but if you have a job upon release you're less likely to reoffend.

"And there's such a huge staff shortage in the hospitality industry. It's a no-brainer. Every single prison has a staff mess, so instead of running that like a canteen or cafeteria, run it like a school; a training restaurant.

"There are about 90 prisons in the UK so possibly not all are going to be suitable, but we have three sites now and we're about to open a site in (HMP) Berwyn in Wales.

"We want to roll it out and open more restaurants in prisons."

A Prison Service spokesman said: “Initiatives like The Right Course can provide prisoners with the skills they need to find a job after release and stay away from crime.”

READ MORE: HMP Berwyn praised for making health improvements during pandemic