Book ban: Campaigners try to humiliate justice secretary

Happy birthday justice secretary: Campaigners prepare book present for Grayling

Happy birthday justice secretary: Campaigners prepare book present for Grayling

Chris Grayling is set to be given dozens of books for his birthday tomorrow, as campaigners try to embarrass him over the prisoner book ban.

Writers at Liberty will deliver a large parcel of books to the justice secretary, as they gather outside his department to read out poems in protest at the policy.

"Toxic spin on human rights, savage attacks to our justice system and now the lord chancellor bans books from prisons," Shami Chakrabarti, Liberty director, said.

"These policies underestimate the underlying decency of the British electorate and this bonfire of books and liberties looks less like an April Fool than pure spite."

Liberty staff are expected to arrive with a large box of books with a large bow and a giant gift tag addressed to: "Inmates of HMP, c/o Justice Secretary Chris Grayling from all at Liberty."

The stunt comes on what promises to be a birthday to forget for the justice secretary, who will also have to endure a protest outside parliament by probation staff and solicitors, who are on a joint strike action over legal aid cuts and privatisation.