Fewer strip searches for McAliskey

Roisin McAliskey, the pregnant 25-year-old being held on remand in connection with the IRA mortar attack on a British army barracks at Osnabruck, Germany, last year, has had her prison category reduced.

Ms McAliskey, left, daughter of the former nationalist MP Bernadette Devlin, was previously a Category A high-risk prisoner in Holloway Prison, north London, which meant she was strip-searched before and after prison visits. Yesterday, the Prison Service reduced her classification to Category A standard-risk which means she will be strip-searched less often and will be allowed access to a dress-making craft shop in the prison.

A spokesman for the Prison Service said she would now be subject only to random strip-searching or when "under suspicion".

He said the decision was made by a group of "fairly senior members of the Prison Service" including Alan Walker, director of operation for the south region, whose beat includes Holloway.

Ms McAliskey is due to give birth in May.