TRADERS in Usk have withdrawn offers of work placements to prisoners at Prescoed open prison while sex offenders continue to be kept there.

The news came yesterday as the Usk and Communities Action Group launched a website - www.nousksexoffenders.com - protesting against sex offenders being transferred to the prison.

Sex offenders regarded as being 'low risk' have been transferred to Prescoed since September 27, to help integrate them back into the community, despite a year of protests from local campaigners.

Usk Chamber of Trade has now agreed to support the campaigners and written to other local chambers asking them to do likewise.

It was left to individual members to decide whether to continue offering work placements to prisoners, and all decided to withdraw the placements, said chamber member Pat Lewis.

The chamber's chairman, David Sansom, added: "We fully back opposition to the placing of sex offenders into an open prison, following the escape of (Robert Neil Stokes)."

Stokes, a convicted rapist, walked out of HMP Prescoed on October 7 and was missing for almost 24 hours before he was discovered.

Patrick Long, chairman of Newport Chamber of Commerce, said they were supporting the action taken by the chamber in Usk.

Mrs Lewis, of Usk Chamber of Trade, who runs Peggy Sue's dress agency in the town, has withdrawn all support for the prison. She said she was hoping to set up a protest on December 4 at the Victorian Day she is organising for the town.

Paul Starling, chairman of the action group, said he had written to organisations across South-east Wales calling on them to withdraw co-operation from the prison and 16,500 people had already signed their petition.

Phil Morgan, governor of Usk and Prescoed prisons, said: "I guess my response would be that employers can make their own decision whether they intend to employ a prisoner on a voluntary basis or in paid employment. The resettlement programme is a proven way of reducing further re-offending and if there is a knock-on effect for it then that will be a shame."