A prison guard was attacked and beaten by an inmate at the central prisons on Wednesday.

The prison guard’s branch of the trade union Pasydy condemned the incident and wishing the officer a full and speedy recovery.

Pasydy stressed it had “zero tolerance” for violence against prison staff and called on the state and relevant authorities to address employee safety at the prisons department “with due seriousness”.

The union called for “immediate and substantive measures” to strengthen the protection of prison personnel.

Pasydy said the safety of prison guards would be raised at its upcoming meeting with Justice Minister Costas Fitiris, where it intends to press for measures addressing the risks faced by staff while carrying out their duties.