Death of first NI prison officer from Covid-19

On Friday morning, NIPS Director General Ronnie Armour said: “It was with a deep sense of sadness that I learned last night of the passing of one of our colleagues, after a short battle with Covid-19.

“He cared deeply about the Service and he worked tirelessly over the years to make things better and safer.

“On behalf of the Service I want to express our heartfelt sympathies to his family circle and to those colleagues who worked alongside him.”

Mr Armour added: “Our Service is the poorer for his passing and the circumstances of his death make our loss all the more painful. He will be long remembered.”

Where the officer was based has not been stated and they have not been named.

More than 1,300 people work for the NI Prison Service.

There have only been four confirmed cases of Covid-19 among the general prison population in Northern Ireland so far.