Businesses have been urged to take a chance on ex-prisoners by hiring them and helping in their recovery from addiction.

Entrepreneur Duncan Williams gave a talk at Pentonville prison last week urging firms to offer internships or training to inmates after their release.

The event was to raise awareness of The Forward Trust, previously known as the Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust, or Rapt, which helps prisoners by offering a 12-step recovery programme.

Duncan’s firm has supported the charity for years. He said: “Twelve-step programmes can assist addicts in their communities just as much as they do inside prisons.

“Education should always be made available so inmates can possess the basic skills they’ll need to land a decent job when they get out. Many come out with new skills and an eagerness to rejoin society. They just need someone to give them a second chance.”