Dozens of electric fans delivered to struggling prison to help lags cope with upcoming heatwave
FAN-DEMONIUM Dozens of electric fans delivered to struggling prison to help lags cope with upcoming heatwave
DOZENS of electric fans have been delivered to a struggling prison to help inmates cope with the upcoming heatwave.
The £17.50 devices arrived at Victorian HMP Bedford this week — with temperatures set to reach 31C this weekend.
Advertisement
The crumbling prison has two inmates to each cramped cell, leading to baking temperatures in hot weather.
An inspection last year found filthy conditions, with calls for the jail to go into emergency measures.
The Category B prison holds some 420 men and has had a series of problems, with riots in 2016.
Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor said conditions were 'some of the worst' he had seen.
Advertisement
READ MORE ON PRISONS
CARLO RAP Ancelotti handed one-year prison sentence after being found guilty of tax fraud
The Sun visited the site with the Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood last year and saw piles of contraband vapes and cigarette packs, with the smell of cannabis present.
Wardens showed improvised weapons including loo brushes fitted with blades and toothbrushes melted to form spikes.
A Prison Service spokesman said: 'Fans can be purchased by prisoners using their own money.'
The Prison Watchdog this week warned that lags in Britain's jails are spending their sentences getting high and watching daytime TV.
Advertisement
A menu of substances including cannabis, cocaine, and steroids is on offer, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor says.
Drones used by criminal gangs are so accurate that they can deliver drugs and weapons, such as zombie knives, directly to specific windows.
Inside Belmarsh: Secrets of Britain's most notorious prisoners
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
35 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Met's plan to update alleged Mohamed Al Fayed victims by video ‘not good enough'
Women allegedly assaulted by the late Mohamed Al Fayed feel let down by police investigators, their advocate has said, as she criticised the Met for planning to 'resort' to sending a video to keep them updated. The comments by Dame Jasvinder Sanghera, who was appointed by Harrods as an independent survivors' advocate, came as it was reported the Metropolitan police had written to the women apologising for the distress they had suffered, especially as Fayed would never face justice. Dozens of women have come forward with allegations of abuse by the late Harrods owner going as far back as 1977, with numbers steadily increasing since the broadcast last year of the BBC documentary Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods. The officer who is now leading the investigation at Scotland Yard, DCS Angela Craggs, is reported to have written to the women to say she was 'acutely aware the case is especially distressing to all those who have suffered. Not least due to the fact that the main suspect will now never directly face justice for his crimes, and for this I am truly sorry.' While the Met has not provided a substantial update on the investigation since late last year, it plans to send alleged victims a video statement on Friday. Sanghera told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'They have not been kept up to date. They have not been provided with timelines. I have been advocating for the police to meet with survivors and to have a conversation in the room and to hear their concerns. 'The police have sadly turned that down and have now resorted to a video, which is quite frankly not good enough. 'Some of these women reported Al Fayed to the police when he was alive. Right now the police should be doing everything they can to offer assurances beyond just words.' Sanghera said some of the women had described living with 'shame and guilt', while others had harmed themselves. She said she did not believe it was too much to ask the police for updates on a monthly basis. The Met said last year that 111 women had made allegations against Fayed. Complaints against the Met over its handling of allegations will be investigated by the force itself under the direction of Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The Met is also reviewing 21 allegations, which were made before Fayed died in 2023, and referred two of these to the IOPC in November. In February, his surviving brother, Ali Fayed, was also accused of sexual assault by three former Harrods employees, who alleged he assaulted them while they were working for the department store. Three women told the BBC they were sexually assaulted by Ali in the 1990s when he and his brothers, Mohamed and Salah, owned and ran Harrods. The women said the alleged abuse happened after they were abused or harassed by Mohamed, his older brother. A spokesperson for Ali Fayed has said the businessman 'unequivocally denies any and all the allegations of wrongdoing', that 'the incidents simply never took place' and that he intended to 'robustly defend himself against these unsubstantiated claims'.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Bristol rape victim urges others to come forward after attacker jailed
A woman who was raped has said she wants other victims to know "they've got nothing to be ashamed of", after her attacker was jailed for 12 Saatchi was aged 21 and a student nurse when she was attacked by her downstairs neighbour David Watson-Williams in the St Paul's area of Bristol in Saatchi decided to report the attack 20 years later, in 2023, and has now waived her right to anonymity because she wants people to know that allegations of rape will be taken seriously by Avon and Somerset to BBC Bristol, she said: "I feel like I've done the right thing, not just by myself, but for society, to remove this man from society because he is a danger." Ms Saatchi had been living in a semi-derelict block of flats at the time of the attack, in which she and Watson-Williams were the only occupants, with all the other apartments boarded now 43, waited for Ms Saatchi to fall asleep after a night out before breaking into her home and attacking realised afterwards that due to her hardwood floors, he would have been able to track her footsteps around the flat and would have known when she was asleep from the lack of the attack, she pretended to be asleep, fearing what he might do to her if she tried to fight him off. Ms Saatchi tried to carry on and forget what had happened, but finally decided to report the attack 20 years later after feeling a "responsibility" to see Watson-Williams brought to said that from the moment she reported the incident she was believed and supported by officers from Avon and Somerset Police's Project Blue Stone team, which focus on sexual officer PC Chris Quick supported her throughout the process, she said."I didn't really have to do anything more than report it with the details that I had and then he took it from there," Ms Saatchi said. At no point was she asked about how much she had drunk or what she had been wearing, she said."(PC Quick) said you can even walk down the road completely naked and that the difference between a rapist and a normal member of society is a normal member of society would wrap you in a towel, ring an ambulance or bring a family member to come and collect you and keep you safe," she said."A rapist would take advantage of that situation but it doesn't matter what you're wearing, how much you think you've had to drink, no one has the right to attack you in that way."Ms Saatchi added: "That's what I really want people to know. Lots of people probably haven't reported rape because they've been drunk, so they feel a sense of shame."I didn't walk into my flat and rape myself, I've got nothing to be ashamed of." 'Important message' Watson-Williams, of Stanfield Close in Lockleaze, Bristol, was sentenced to 12 years in prison at Bristol Crown Court on Monday, with an extended licence period of three Quick said: "The sentence reflects the seriousness of what happened to her. She was attacked in her own home, where she should be safe, and has been extremely courageous to come forward about the attack which left her feeling vulnerable and living in fear for years."We hope this conviction sends out an important message – any acts of violence will never be tolerated, and every victim deserves to be heard and supported, no matter how long ago the attack took place." If you have been affected by the topics raised in this story, support is available by visiting the BBC Action Line
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
'Devastated' family of crew member killed on £100,000-a-week superyacht fly to Bahamas to face 'the monster who took her life' as court hears 'killer' may have sexually assaulted her before her 'murder'
The 'devastated' family of a stewardess who was brutally killed on board a superyacht has flown out to the Bahamas to fight for justice as a crew member has been charged with her murder. Paige Bell, 20, from South Africa, was found dead in the engine room of the luxury motor boat Far From It last Thursday, when the boat was moored in the Harbour Island resort. Brigido Munoz, 39, a Mexican national who worked with Paige as an engineer on the yacht, appeared before magistrates in Nassau on Wednesday charged with her murder. The court heard that his alleged victim was found with slash wounds to her neck and partially undressed, suggesting she may have been sexually assaulted. She also had defensive injuries to her arms, the court heard, suggesting she tried to fend off her alleged attacker. Paige's distraught parents Michelle and John Bell flew out to the Bahamas earlier this week to 'begin the painful process of bringing their baby girl home', and potentially face the man suspected of taking their daughter's life. The family asked that people 'please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as we fight for Paigey.' The yacht worker's heartbroken older sister Chelsey Jacobs said earlier this week that she was 'torn apart' by the loss of 'Paigey' and put out an emotional statement on behalf of the family. 'Our family is facing an unimaginable journey,' she said, adding that her family is 'seeking justice for the monster that took her life.' 'This heart-breaking loss has been deeply felt by everyone who knew and loved 'Paigey' – her former captain, the boat owner, all the crew on board and our entire community. She said the family is 'devastated beyond words and now we must also navigate complex and costly legal proceedings in a foreign country – something far beyond our financial means.' A GoFundMe appeal was launched on behalf of the family by former colleagues and friends of Paige to help with the financial burden on the family. Chelsey said the family are 'grateful for your love, support, and solidarity during this incredibly difficult time.' Paige was set to celebrate her 21st birthday on July 14, with friends having planned a big celebration to mark the day. In her honor, her mother is said to have asked that 'we all eat red velvet cake (her favorite) on that day and share a photo in remembrance of the beautiful soul she was'. Just after 1pm on July 3, police were alerted to an incident at the marina on Harbour Island, an exclusive resort 60 miles east of the capital Nassau. Cops boarded the 43-metre yacht Far From It, where they were told that Paige had not been seen for a short period of time. They found her unresponsive in the yacht's engine room with visible injuries, before a doctor attended the scene and confirmed she had died. She was found near Munoz who had severe injuries to his arm in what police described as a suspected suicide attempt. The man was apprehended, cautioned and taken to a nearby clinic for treatment, police said in a statement, before he was later charged with murder. The circumstances surrounding Paige's death are still under investigation, police said. Built in 2008, Far From It is a charter yacht comprising of five suites, charging wealthy clients between £100,000 and £120,000 per week for vacations. It can host up to 10 guests and is staffed by nine permanent crew, according to its website. Paige had previously worked on board the Motor Yacht Sweet Emocean as a crew member until December 2024. In their tribute to her, the crew said 'Paige was more than a teammate, she was family. 'Her radiant spirit, infectious laughter, and boundless compassion made an unforgettable impact on everyone lucky enough to know her. 'Whether it was long days at sea or quiet moments under the stars, she brought light and warmth wherever she went.' The fundraiser for Paige, which can be found here, has so far raised more than $44,000 of its initial $16,000 target.
