Prison officer stabbed 'with knife brought in from outside jail'

A prison officer who received emergency treatment after being attacked at a high security jail was stabbed with a weapon from outside of prison, Sky News understands.  The 25-year-old officer was airlifted to hospital after allegedly being attacked by an inmate who used a knife that wasn't made inside the jail, which is otherwise known as an "improvised" weapon.

It is not known how the weapon was brought into the prison. However a recent inspection of HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire described the "incursion of drones" as "an increasingly critical problem" for the jail, and a "threat" that was "unsettling" for staff.

Vanessa Frake, former head of security at HMP Wormwood Scrubs, told Sky News combating the ingress of drones needs "more than a one-pronged approach". "You need physical barriers.

You need technology. And of course, that costs money," she said.

The officer is in a stable condition following the attack on Friday morning but underwent emergency surgery, after sustaining what West Mercia Police described as serious injuries. A 22-year-old suspect is being held in custody within the prison.

West Mercia Police Assistant Chief Constable Grant Wills said on Friday that the incident was not being treated as terrorism. He added: "Our initial enquiries suggest there was a disagreement between an inmate and prison officer that escalated and is an isolated matter within the prison." This was the third attack at a Category A, high security jail, in less than two months.

"What we're seeing with violence against staff at the moment is an escalation," said Tom Wheatley of the Prison Governors' Association, a former HMP Long Lartin governor. "The particular nature of some of these events is concerning," he added.

"But this comes against the backdrop of rising violence in prisons for some years." Meanwhile, Ms Frake warned that "if something is not done, we could well see the murder of a prison officer". In April, the Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi allegedly assaulted prison officers using hot cooking oil and a homemade weapon while in a separation centre, which are used to house extremist and violent offenders.

At HMP Belmarsh, Southport killer Axel Rudakubana has been accused of throwing boiling hot water over an officer through the hatch in his cell door earlier this month. Read more from Sky News:Search for girl missing in ThamesReform UK to accept crypto donations There were 10,605 assaults on staff in the year to December 2024, a 15% increase on the year before, marking a record high.

The government says the safety of frontline staff is a top priority and has commissioned a series of reviews to consider increased protection for officers, including stab-proof vests and the use of Tasers in certain situations. The independent reviewer of terrorism, Jonathan Hall KC, has also been appointed to carry out a review of the alleged Abedi attack at HMP Frankland, to consider whether separation centres are fit for purpose.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: "Police are investigating an attack on a prison officer at HMP Long Lartin. "We will not tolerate assaults on hardworking staff and will always push for the strongest punishments against perpetrators.".