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.
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.
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.
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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.”
