I don’t get the prison’s thinking here. It’s probably a little too late to get on track for the Beijing Olympics, and there’s really no money in professional pole vaulting.

It’s not hard to see why the inmates might be into it though.

Inmates at the young offenders’ institution are learning how to vault 13ft high bars.
But the governor insists that their new skills will not be put to use for escape bids – because the jail walls are 20ft high and topped with razor wire.

About 30 prisoners aged from18 to 21 have attended pole vault classes at Portland Young Offenders’ Institute, in Dorset, which has a total of 560 prisoners.

Governor Steve Holland is hoping a future Olympic champion will emerge. He was approached by Trudy Carter, Dorset’s athletics development officer, who said she had a mobile pole vaulting unit for use in a gym and wanted to get the inmates interested.

But yesterday taxi driver Mike Lee, whose firm is used by the prison, said: “It struck me as funny that prisoners are being taught to pole vault. Next they will be teaching them rock climbing and ladder making.” Mr Lee, 60, of Weymouth, added: “Let’s hope they don’t get too good at it.”

The men’s pole vault record is 6.14 meters, or a little over 20 feet. The prison’s walls are 20 feet.

Hm.