Prison officer's throat slashed by inmate as staff attacks surge in high-security jails
14 May 2025, 16:58 | Updated: 14 May 2025, 17:49
Prison chiefs have warned that "violence is out of control' in Britain's high security jails after an officer had their throat slashed by an inmate holding an improvised weapon, in one of three new attacks on prison staff in the last 24 hours.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
The Prison Officers Association (POA) said the "specialist" officer was attacked at HMP Woodhill, a Category B men's prison in Milton Keynes, where far-right activist Tommy Robinson is currently being held.
The officer was rushed to hospital with injuries to their neck and ear, which required stitches and surgical glue, the POA said.
In a separate incident at the same jail, another warden was assaulted and injured by an inmate detained under the Terrorism Act 2008.
Meanwhile, a prison officer at Gartree Prison in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, had a TV thrown at him after trying to help a prisoner who had faked an epileptic fit.
A female officer also sustained a broken arm in the attack.
All three incidents are believed to have occurred in the last 24 hours and follow a string of other inmate attacks in recent weeks.
Geoff Willetts, of the POA, said: "I am advised that one of our members at HMP Woodhill was attacked by a prisoner who was detained under the Terrorism act of 2008. The Officer was assaulted and injured while carrying out his duties.
"In a separate incident at the same jail a prisoner was told to return to his cell, this resulted in a specialist officer being slashed with an improvised weapon sustaining injuries to the neck and ear.
"The officer attended hospital where they required stitches and surgical glue applied to their injuries.
“Meanwhile at Gartree Prison, Market Harborough staff attended a medical emergency where a prisoner faked an epileptic fit. A prison officer who attended to assist was assaulted then had a TV thrown at him and a female officer sustained a broken arm.”
The attacks come after an officer at HMP Belmarsh was admitted to hospital last Thursday after being ambushed with hot water by Southport killer Axel Rudakubana.
And last month, three guards were attacked with hot oil by Manchester Arena terrorist Hashem Abedi.
Convicted murderer John Mansfield was also killed inside HMP Whitemoor, Cambridgeshire, in April.
In response, the Prison Service has launched a "snap review" into the use of protective body armour for prison officers, while the use of tasers is being trialled in jails.
Speaking about the latest attacks, Steve Gillan POA General Secretary said: "Escalating levels of violence are out of control in the prison service in England and Wales.
"It appears that HMPPS have learned nothing. They continue to ignore the calls from our members on the front line for urgent action to protect Prison Officers from violence.
"It is clear Prison regimes must be reviewed as a matter of urgency. We need action to protect Prison Officers before there is a fatality.
"My thoughts are with the Prison Officers who have been injured, the POA will offer them our full support."
Amidst a growing crisis in Britain's prisons, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced a "record prison expansion" to tackle the ever-growing inmate population.
Her announcement comes after the Ministry of Justice warned that all of the Men’s prisons in England and Wales will be full in just five months time.
Three new jails, costing £4.7bn, will be built to make sure Britain "never gets into this position again", Ms Mahmood said.
The Justice Secretary also revealed a shake-up of prison recall measures, announcing that "those serving sentences of between one and four years can only be returned to prison for a fixed 28-day period".
She added that some offenders will be excluded from this measure, including those recalled for committing a serious further offences.
