THE Jailhouse Café at The Verne on Portland has reopened.

The popular eatery, situated through HMP The Verne’s tunnel at the top of Portland, overlooking the Jurassic Coast, reopened on Tuesday.

The café was originally introduced in 2011 to rehabilitate prisoners only from HMP/YOI Portland in partnership with the charity Expia - but due to the pandemic rehabilitation inmates are temporarily not allowed to work on site.

A spokeswoman from the café said: "Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, at this time we're not allowing prisoners from HMP/YOI Portland to work on site."

Although the café is based within the grounds of The Verne - it does not allow inmates from that particular prison, which exclusively holds sex offenders, to work on the site.

"Although we are on The Verne grounds, we don't allow inmates from that prison to work in the café."

The café also enjoys panoramic views over Weymouth Bay and Portland harbour.

The café's current opening times are 10am to 3.30pm on Tuesday to Sunday - and every bank holiday.