Friends and relatives of the inmates of a jail in the southern city of Breda were surprised to receive Christmas cards bearing photos of the prisoners off on a skiing holiday, posing in the snow in front of a ski lodge.

The photos were a mock-up arranged by the prison, intended as an amusing Christmas stunt. The prison set up a cardboard wall painted with a winter scene complete with skis and a St Bernhard. Prisoners posed with a sledge, while white sheets stood in for snowy slopes. The families were pleased with the pictures – one prisoner’s wife described the card as a “nice gesture”.

However, even though the pictures were clearly fake, the Justice Ministry is none too happy about the joke. A ministry spokesperson said Christmas might be a difficult time for jailbirds, but “prisoners are locked up and any association with winter sports is wrong”. The ministry has told the Breda prison it will have to come up with a more appropriate festive stunt next year.

Christmas card (Flickr/ Yannig van de Wouwer)