Two inmates arrested after death of prisoner in Lindholme prison

A snap inspection in the summer was highly critical of the jail's wing for low-risk prisoners

Two inmates have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a prisoner was found dead at HMP Lindholme (PA)

Two inmates have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a prisoner was found dead at a jail.

Staff at HMP Lindholme, Doncaster, called in South Yorkshire Police at 3.50pm on Saturday following the death of a 22-year-old man.

A police spokesman said: "A 23-year-old man and a 26-year-old man, both inmates, have been arrested and detained at HMP Lindholme on suspicion of murder.

"The deceased's family has been informed."

A post-mortem examination was due to be carried out today.

HMP Lindholme is classified as a Category C and D prison with a capacity of over 1,100.

The former RAF base opened as a prison in 1985 and houses men over the age of 21.

That can include people serving life and those on indeterminate sentences.

A snap inspection in the summer was highly critical of the jail's wing for low-risk prisoners, and it has since been closed.

Among its findings, HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) said there were religious tensions on the wing and discovered someone had defecated in washing facilities for Muslim prayers.

Described as an "astonishing situation" by the inspectors, more than a third of prisoners interviewed had felt unsafe at some time, while drugs and alcohol were widely available on the D wing, which was shut down shortly after the inspection.

PA