Trainee prison guards in court after night's drinking

Two trainee prison guards are facing criminal charges in after a night's drinking at Rimutaka Prison's staff training college got out of hand.

An Invercargill man, 46, will reappear in Upper Hutt District Court tomorrow after appearing on charges of assaulting police and a prison guard yesterday, the Dominion Post newspaper reported.

A second Invercargill man, 40, is due to appear in the court tomorrow charged with assault.

The charges came after the Corrections Department investigated an altercation at the college early last Saturday morning.

A department spokesman was not immediately available to comment today.

Public Prisons Service general manager Harry Hawthorn refused to comment on the specifics of the incident but said that any allegation of misconduct by staff was taken "very seriously".

The college is outside the main perimeter fence of the prison and has accommodation facilities.

Corrections personnel were allowed to take alcohol into the college, but it could be consumed only by staff, and only during set times in designated areas, Mr Hawthorn said.

- NZPA