Riding around in the back of a police van is the last place most of us would like to find ourselves. But when it does happen, safety is a big concern for both the occupants and the police, a factor which Vauxhall says it has addressed with its new Vauxhall Vivaro prison cell.

Designed, built and tested specifically for the Vauxhall Vivaro, the prison cell has undergone years of development and completed a series of simulated crash tests where it was accelerated from zero to 30 mph in just over a tenth of a second.

Crash performance is a serious concern for aftermarket fitted prison cells, but the Vivaro cell passed these tests "without significant deformation" according to Vauxhall.

“We have considered the potential risk to all the occupants of the vehicle in the event of a crash," said Vauxhall’s manager of vehicle conversions Dick Ellam. "Firstly we have ensured the installation is robust and there is no intrusion into the area immediately in front of the cell that could pose a potential risk of injury to occupant of the second row seating. Secondly we have considered the potential risk to unrestrained occupants of the cell and have chosen a seating arrangement that minimises this risk."

“The result is an extremely robust package which is unique to the market and a major step forward for the safety of Police van occupants,” he concluded.

The prison cell vehicle includes two rows of seating configured for up to six occupants and is the first fully fitted prison cell to be offered to the 54 UK Police services.