London, Aug 19 : Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has barred mafia bosses from singing in prison, after they used songs to pass criminal messages to each other.

In addition to putting a ban on singing, the inmates have also been barred from socialising with fellow inmates, according to Justice minister Angelino Alfano.

In a bid to tighten the security visits from family, friends and lawyers have also been curtailed in the ten prisons that house 570 convicted dangerous mobsters

''''We are toughening up the rules and coming down hard on the Mafia even when they are in jail. They will not be allowed to socialise and they will not be allowed to sing,” Telegraph quoted Alfano, as saying.

Informers told prison officials that inmates were passing messages and orders while singing in their native language.

"We have evidence that in the past orders and messages were passed on and we have also stopped them mixing with each other as well. They will spend the majority of their day alone in their cells,'''' Alfano added. (ANI)