A NEW chairman will take the helm of a prison monitoring board.

Margaret Booth (65) has been appointed to chair the Independent Monitoring Board at Lincoln Prison.

She was appointed by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Justice Shahid Malik.

The board acts as the eyes and ears of the Minister of Justice and members have right of access to any part of the prison.

They can talk to prisoners out of sight and sound of officers to check they are being held in decent and humane conditions.

Mrs Booth replaces John Webster, who has been chairman of the board since 2004.

Board members are unpaid so as to maintain their independence.

New members are being sought and anyone interested in finding out more should contact the IMB clerk at HMP Lincoln on (01522) 663070 or via the IMB website www.imb.gov.uk