Liverpool thug Lee Sullivan poses with cell mates 'kicking back' at Walton prison in Facebook photo

Liverpool thug Lee Sullivan used Facebook to boast of the easy life he had behind bars and shamelessly posted a photo from his cell with fellow inmates to the website.

The 27-year-old, from Bootle, is serving an eight year jail term at Walton prison for a violent fish and chip shop robbery and for assaulting his ex-girlfriend.

But Sullivan appears to have escaped any kind tough justice. He breached prison rules to brag about "kicking back" inside the Merseyside prison in posts made on the social media site.

Using the name "Lee Campion", Sullivan joked with friends on Facebook about the "prison tan" he had developed while locked up and updated his status on Christmas Day to describe how he was looking forward to spending Christmas 2016 as a free man.

In an earlier post from May 2014, Sullivan said he was missing home:

Prisoners are banned from using social media and from getting people to update accounts on their behalf.

Facebook has since deleted Sullivan's account under an agreement with the Ministry of Justice after the offences were reported by the Liverpool Daily Echo.

The government is also trying to push through plans that would allow it to cut off inmates' phones under the Serious Crime Bill.

A total of 7,451 illicit mobile phones were seized in prisons in England and Wales in 2013.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: "Prisoners have no unsupervised access to the internet and cannot log onto Facebook.

"We have made clear that it is totally unacceptable for prisoners to access social networking sites or instruct others to do so on their behalf.

"No prisoner should be in any doubt that if they break the rules they will be stripped of their privileges and may be reported to the police for further action.

"We have an agreement with Facebook to close down accounts being updated by or on behalf of serving prisoners."

Armed robbery

Sullivan and an accomplice robbed a Bottle food store in 2011, threatening staff with what was believed to be a gun and a knife.

The pair made off with £5,000 before targeting a Spar convenience store three days later, pocketing £200 in the raid.

The final robbery was of an Aintree fish and chip shop, which again landed the criminals £200.

His girlfriend eventually turned him in to police after Sullivan pushed her down the stairs, as well as breaking her arm by pushing her in the road.