An inmate at HMP Wandsworth is in a critical condition in hospital after being stabbed inside the prison.
The Metropolitan police and London ambulance service were called at about 3.20pm on Sunday to reports of an assault inside the facility in south-west London after an “incident” between prisoners.
Paramedics and officers found a man who had been stabbed. He was taken to hospital and is in a critical condition, a Scotland Yard spokesperson said.
A London air ambulance helicopter was called as a precaution, the Ministry of Justice said. No arrests have been made.
The category B prison has come under intense scrutiny after the escape and subsequent recapture of Daniel Khalife, a 21-year-old former soldier who was being held on remand before a trial on terror charges. Khalife escaped by strapping himself to the underside of a delivery van.
On Sunday, hours before the attack, the justice secretary, Alex Chalk, said about 40 inmates at Wandsworth had been moved out of the jail. Chalk told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips programme that they had been moved to different sites “out of an abundance of caution” amid questions about why a former soldier accused of a terror offence was not in the highest-security prison.
Chalk said the preliminary findings of an internal inquiry should be with him by the end of this week, and he would announce imminently the terms of reference for a wider independent investigation.
Asked if he had confidence in the prison’s governor, Katie Price, Chalk twice dodged the question, saying: “I’m absolutely confident in the senior leadership of the Prison Service to conduct a rigorous, searching and fair investigation.”
The Victorian-era prison has been called unfit for purpose in the aftermath of Khalife’s escape.
Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons in England and Wales, said in an interview that it “really needs closing, ultimately”.
Speaking to Sophy Ridge on Sky News on Thursday, Taylor said there was a crisis in prisons such as Wandsworth due to the pressure on places and a shortage of staff. About 30% of employees at the prison are unavailable for full duties.
Taylor said: “In an ideal world, one would [close Wandsworth], but of course you need jails because you need to service the courts. We’ve actually got a crisis at the moment in prisons just in terms of population and places, so there are only just enough prison places available at the moment for the number of prisoners who are coming in, but of course that puts a huge strain on the system.”
A Prison Service spokesperson said: “Staff swiftly responded to an incident between prisoners at HMP Wandsworth today. We have a zero-tolerance approach to violence and will always take strong action against those who break these rules.”
