Inmate stabbed to death at Wormwood Scrubs prison

Death comes weeks after prison was described as 'dangerous place' in official report

Wormwood Scrubs prison, prisons, jail, crime (PA)

A prisoner has died after being stabbed at Wormwood Scrubs prison in London, Ministry of Justice sources told The Independent.

An investigation into the death has been launched by the Metropolitan police.

“Police were called at 3.19pm on Wednesday to reports of a man with stab injuries,” the force said.

“Officers and London Ambulance Service attended the scene where the man was later pronounced dead. Next of kin have been informed. We await formal identification.”

No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing, the police said.

The Category B Victorian-era prison in West London has about 1,200 male inmates.

A report published in November said the prison was a “dangerous place”, with 40-50 violent incidents a month.

In addition, the report said the facility was “consistently” short of staff.

At the time, collapsed construction company Carillion had been contracted to provide maintenance services to the building. The report said the company was “not able to adequately maintain the fabric of the prison”.

Areas of the jail were found to be covered with litter, attracting cockroaches and rats.

Following the report, HM Inspectorate of Prisons said Wormwood Scrubs was "still not safe enough", with chief inspector Peter Clarke saying the findings painted “an extremely concerning picture”.