A prison where celebrated Irish writer Oscar Wilde was once an inmate has been sold to an educational charity, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has said. (press release 11th January 2024)

Reading Jail formally closed in January 2014 and has been empty ever since. 

A campaign to turn the Grade II listed building into an arts and community centre was supported by celebrities including Stephen Fry, Kate Winslet and Dame Judi Dench.

The government said the jail had been sold to the Ziran Education Foundation.

It said the charity’s plans for the site included an educational centre incorporating a museum and exhibition space.

Read the latest from MP Matt Rodda here