LONDON — England’s prison population has hit a record high following the jailing of hundreds involved in the country’s riots, according to figures released today.

Prison officials said they were considering emergency plans to create space for the extra inmates.

Statistics released by the Ministry of Justice showed that the total prison population in England and Wales has reached 86,654 — just 1,500 places below the countries’ operational capacity.

Prison authorities said they faced an “unprecedented situation” and were working on emergency plans to increase capacity.

A spokeswoman for Britain’s Prison Service said those plans could include boosting the number of prisoners held in each cell, reopening mothballed prison facilities or pressing forward with the opening of new ones.

She said the plans were being considered at this stage, stressing that there was no need yet.

About 700 people have been added to the prison system over the last seven days, many of them found guilty for roles in the four nights of unrest that swept London and other major cities last week.