Serial killer Rose West, 72, is said to be "on her last legs" as she grows increasingly frail behind bars. West has spent the last 31 years in prison, and her condition is reportedly deteriorating to a point where she would be unable to leave the jail on her own in the event of a fire or emergency.
The killer is held at the high-security prison HMP New Hall in West Yorkshire. A source at the jail has claimed West has been placed on a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) due to her worsening health.
Health decline and emergency plans
The 72-year-old is reportedly in a "really bad way" and can "barely move", a source told The Sun. They said: "The fact she has this PEEP in place shows what a poor state her health is in. Having a PEEP is extremely rare and officers only use them for those in the most danger if there is an emergency."
A PEEP is a plan made for prison staff supervising offenders with disabilities or health conditions that could affect their ability to evacuate safely in the event of a fire or similar emergency.
The source added: "And people have been talking about how West is on her last legs and does not have long left because of her health. She cannot leave her wing and is also resigned to dying in jail."
Daily life and official response
They added: "She cannot really move unaided and has to be protected by staff. She rarely goes outside and cannot go to the gym or take part in activities like yoga. All she can do really is watch telly and read as she rots away in her cell."
A Prison Service spokesperson told The Mirror: "Rose West's crimes were horrific, and she will rightly spend the rest of her life behind bars."
West was jailed for life in 1995 after helping her husband Fred murder at least nine women and girls between 1967 and 1987 at their home in Gloucester. She was transferred to New Hall from Low Newton prison in Durham in 2019. Fred West, who buried many of their victims at their 'House of Horrors' home, killed himself in 1995 aged 53 while awaiting trial.
Prison conditions and diet
This comes after a report at the prison revealed inmates have been complaining about piling on weight. Those moved from other jails around the country said the food served was too "carb heavy". Inspectors from the Independent Monitoring Board said the catering manager had been tasked with finding "healthier and more nutritionally balanced meals".
West several years ago was reportedly ordered to go on a diet by prison doctors after being deemed "dangerously overweight". She had ballooned to 18 stone, consuming an unhealthy diet of cake, crisps and chocolate while behind bars.
