The Conservative Party has called on some prison officials to use guns to resist the "out of control" of Islamic gangs and violent prisoners.

Shadow Attorney General Robert Jenrick said professional teams should be equipped with Tasers, stun grenades, and in some cases lethal weapons.

He also called for immediate provision of turtleneck vests to frontline officials, citing threats following recent attacks on prison officials.

"The Islamic gangs and violent prisoners in our prisons are out of control. This is a national security emergency, but the government is shaking," he said in a telegram.

“If they don’t act as soon as possible, there is a great risk that prison officials are kidnapped or murdered in their duties, or terrorist attacks directed from within the prison.”

Jenrik said he has appointed former prison governor Ian Acheson for a quick review.

"We must stop violent criminals in Islamic extremists and prisons surrounding cat feet," Jenrik wrote. "This means putting expert prison officials into Tasers and stun grenades and in special cases to get them deadly weapons.

"If the prison governor cannot easily let terrorist influencers and radical prisoners, we will not control our prisons except for the mainstream prisoners they target - they do so. We must remove control and restore order by providing officers with the power and protection they need."

This is after the high-profile prisoner attack. Manchester Arena’s drawingist Hashem Abedi targeted boiling oil and homemade weapons last month in a planned ambush. Southport killer Axel Rudakubana allegedly attacked a prison official in HMP Belmarsh this month.

Attorney General Shabana Mahmood has ordered a review of whether the stab vest should be used more routinely and professional officials who will be introduced in the summer.

Officers are already able to use batons and Pava Spray (a synthetic pepper spray) in public sector men's prisons.

Justice Department sources said the government has adopted "zero tolerance" for violence and extremism in prisons.

“The last government added only 500 cells to our prison legacy and put our prisons in an entire crisis. In 14 years, they closed 1,600 cells in high-security estates, with employee attacks soaring, and experienced officers silenced.

"This government is cleaning up the last mess left by the government. We are building new prisons and since we took office, 2400 new cells have been opened. We have taken a zero-tolerance approach to violence and extremism."