PLANS to replace Greenock's 110-year-old prison have been shelved yet again until at least 2026 — five years after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urged 'clarity' on the matter.
The decision by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) comes after Ms Sturgeon's government spent nearly £8m of public money on buying and clearing a proposed site in the wouth west of the town for a new jail in 2011.
News of the delay has sparked 'deep disappointment' within Inverclyde Council.
Local authority leader Stephen McCabe yesterday issued a direct challenge to SNP MSP Stuart McMillan over the future suitability of the existing Gateside jail, which was built in 1910.