Ian Huntley, convicted of murdering schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002, has been seriously injured in an assault at HMP Frankland in County Durham. The attack occurred on Thursday morning, and the prisoner, understood to be Huntley, was taken to hospital.
According to reports, Huntley was knocked unconscious with a metal pole. A source told the Sun that his condition was 'touch and go'. Durham Constabulary confirmed they were alerted to an assault at the prison and have launched an investigation.
The North East Ambulance Service dispatched two crews and requested support from the Great North Air Ambulance. One patient was transported to hospital by road. The Prison Service stated that a prisoner is receiving treatment but declined to comment further while police investigate.
Huntley, a former school caretaker, killed the girls after they left a family barbecue in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on 4 August 2002. He dumped their bodies in a ditch, sparking one of the largest police searches in British history. He was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
HMP Frankland is a category A prison housing high-profile inmates including Michael Adebolajo, Levi Bellfield, and Wayne Couzens. Violent attacks at the prison have occurred previously, including an incident last year where an inmate allegedly attacked prison officers with hot oil and homemade weapons.
