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Jeremy Corbyn has made a dramatic plea to house dozens of local rough sleepers - on the site of an infamous old jail.

The Labour leader demanded the visitor centre of Victorian Holloway Prison is put back into use as a homeless hostel.

The former women's prison in his north London constituency, whose infamous cells held suffragettes, the last woman to be hanged and Myra Hindley, shut in 2016.

Last year the visitor centre was 'occupied' by feminist group Sisters Uncut, who called for a women's centre and affordable housing to be built on the site.

Now Mr Corbyn has called for direct intervention from the government to make use of the property in the meantime.

(Image: Daily Mirror) (Image: Getty Images) (Image: Google)

In a letter to Justice Secretary David Gauke, in his capacity as local MP, he said leaving the visitor centre empty on prime London land “seems an incredible waste of a good resource".

He wrote: "I am writing to ask that you consider agreeing, in principle, to the temporary re-opening of the HMP Prison Holloway Visitor’s Centre so that it may be used as a homeless hostel."

The Labour leader highlighted research from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) showing there were 63 rough sleepers in Islington, north London, in October to December 2017 - a rise of 12 on the previous three-month period.

He added: "The UK housing crisis is particularly challenging for inner London boroughs.

"Having an additional resource to help address the needs of local homeless individuals would be hugely beneficial."

Rough sleeping nationally has more than doubled since 2010 to almost 5,000 people.

(Image: Daily Mirror)

The Labour leader's staff were unable to say how many homeless people might be housed in the visitor centre.

But aides insisted it could make a "major contribution to ending rough sleeping in the borough" as a temporary measure.

Mr Corbyn said: "Rough sleeping is on the increase in Islington and across the country, and is an emergency that needs action now.

"lt will only be solved in the long term with more funding for council and health services, instead of more Tory cuts, and a massive increase in homebuilding to end the housing crisis.

"But there are temporary measures, like this proposal for a hostel, that would make good use of a centre that is currently unused and offer urgent help to people who need it."

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “The visitors’ centre at HMP Holloway is currently a key site for prison officer recruitment as we continue to increase staffing numbers. Regrettably therefore the centre is not vacant and is unable to be put to alternative use.

“We are working closely with the council and others on the sale of the site.”