Police investigating alleged attack on prison officer by Southport triple murderer Axel Rudakubana

Police are investigating an alleged attack on a prison officer by Southport triple killer Axel Rudakubana on Thursday.

Rudakubana was in his cell at HMP Belmarsh at the time and allegedly heated the water up using a kettle in the room, Sky News understands. He then threw the boiling water at the officer, who was standing outside the cell, through a hatch in his door, it is claimed.

The member of prison staff was taken to hospital as a precaution but only suffered minor injuries. Rudakubana is serving life in jail for murdering Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport last year.

Sky News understands the prison officer was discharged from hospital later the same day. They are expected to return to work at the prison, located in southeast London, next week.

Cell door hatches are used to pass medication to prisoners and most of them have kettles in their cells, Sky News understands. Read more:Two-phase public inquiry into Southport murders launchedMum of Southport victim praises local community A source said Rudakubana was being held in the prison's healthcare unit at the time in a state of near-isolation.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: "Police are investigating an attack on a prison officer at HMP Belmarsh yesterday. "Violence in prison will not be tolerated and we will always push for the strongest possible punishment for attacks on our hardworking staff." It comes only weeks after Hashem Abedi, the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber, allegedly attacked three prison officers at HMP Frankland in County Durham.

The members of staff at the high-security prison were attacked with cooking oil before being stabbed with an improvised weapon. Following the attack, Abedi was moved back to HMP Belmarsh, where he had previously been found guilty of attacking a prison officer in May 2020, along with two other convicted terrorists.

In August 2020, he was sentenced to a minimum of 55 years in prison for helping his brother Salman Abedi plan his suicide bomb attack in 2017, which killed 22 people..