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Prisons in Switzerland have been given an unusual paint job - their cells are being painted pink.

Thirty cells have been painted pink in an attempt to calm down aggressive inmates.

The project, called Cool Down Pink, is having positive results in prisons, according to experts.

Psychologist Daniela Spath said: "Anger levels can reduce in as little as 15 minutes, though we usually confine a convict to a pink cell for two hours."

Not everyone is happy, however, prison reform campaigner, Peter Zimmerman, said: "Many inmates are not happy with this treatment.

"They say it is humiliating to be confined to a room painted like a little girl's bedroom."

Prison cells are not the only places to get the pink treatment - some "drunk tanks" in police stations have also been revamped.

A police spokesman in Bienne said: "It really seems to work. They quieten down and go to sleep much more quickly in a pink room."

This is not the first time pink decor has been used to alter the mood of a room.

Kinnick Stadium in Iowa is renowned for its pink visitors' locker room.

The decision was taken by coach Hayden Fry who believed the colour would place the team's opponents in a "passive mood".

In 2006 a Texas prison had their prisoners dressed in pink jumpsuits to stop inmates returning to jail.