Latest news with #HashemAbedi
Telegraph
a day ago
- General
- Telegraph
Dangerous Islamist terrorists should be imprisoned on military base, says report
Dangerous Islamist terrorists should be detained in a specially created high-security unit within a military base, a report by one of Britain's leading experts on extremism has recommended. Prof Ian Acheson, a former prison governor who has advised the Government on extremism in prisons, has recommended that the risk to prison officers from violent ideologically driven terrorists was so 'lethal and proximate' that a new centre outside the prison estate was needed. He said such a centre could not be located in high-security prisons because they were 'exposed to and unable to overcome' the threat from weapons and other contraband being brought in by drones. 'My recommendation is that this centre is purpose-built and located inside the military estate, where physical and human security is commensurate to the risks posed,' he said in his report, commissioned by the Tories. 'It should be entirely separate from the main prison estate and its ethos must be focused on the protection of national security and eliminating the physical threat to staff.' Series of attacks on prison staff His proposal follows an attack by Hashem Abedi, the Manchester Arena bomb plotter, on three officers in the high-security Frankland jail in County Durham last month. Abedi, who is serving a life sentence, threw hot cooking oil over the officers and stabbed them with two makeshift knives he had fashioned from baking trays in the kitchen. It also comes days after a prison officer at HMP Long Lartin was seriously injured when he was stabbed in an unprovoked attack by a violent inmate with a knife believed to have been flown into the high-security jail by drone. The most influential and dangerous Islamist terrorists are currently held in separation units, of which there are three in prisons in England and Wales. The 'prisons within prisons' are designed to prevent them from radicalising other inmates and allow for closer supervision. Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, has ordered a review of separation centres, which could see them expanded, and has also suspended prisoners' use of kitchen facilities within them after the Abedi attack. Ms Mahmood has commissioned a review into issuing prison officers with stab vests and trialling Tasers in jails. Threat from violent extremists 'intolerable' In his report, seen by The Telegraph, Prof Acheson said: 'The current threat to front line prison staff posed by violent extremists and extremist adjacent offenders is intolerable and must be tackled urgently. 'The proximity of a murder of a prison officer on duty is closer and the consequence for rehabilitation, stability and the rule of law inside prisons is closer and more severe than at any time in the last 10 years. 'HM Prison and Probation Service does not have the capacity or capability or frequently the will to manage highly violent and ideologically motivated offenders using present approaches or structures.' Prof Acheson said each prison holding terrorist prisoners should have a team of specialist armed officers on site ready to respond to any incident. 'They must be capable of being deployed at all times when prisoners are unlocked. This includes Taser, stun grenades, attenuated energy baton rounds and 'method of entry' equipment to breach doors and barricades,' he said. He said these weapons were the 'baseline' but that 'serious consideration' must be given to constructing armouries at such prisons where guns could be stored and used as a last resort because police support could not be guaranteed in time 'where seconds can mean the difference between life and death'. He said all prison officers should be issued with stab, slash and spike-resistant vests. 'There must be no delay in emergency procurement of this PPE to all staff working in the high security and long-term [prisoner] estate,' he said. 'The prospect of serious harm, not to mention litigation and recruitment/retention impact is not just imminent, it is already happening. There is simply no reason for further dithering on this vital and obvious improvement. 'Ministers must take personal charge of this objective backed by independent oversight by professionals who have demonstrated a track record in delivery under pressure. Stab vests have been 'under consideration' for officers revealed in a ministerial answer in 2013. The Director of Public Sector Prisons then is the same person who is now the interim chief executive.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
With hounded police and pampered criminals, Britain is upside down
Our country is being taken for a ride and the public are sick to the back teeth of it. In April, Hashem Abedi, one of the men responsible for the Manchester Arena bombing, attacked prison guards with hot oil and a stabbing attack that seriously injured three officers. Abedi was also granted more than £1,200 in taxpayers' cash to launch an equal rights case in prison. Prison officers do invaluable work protecting the public and deserve better protection. Yet those who do the right thing and put their lives on the line for us often get hounded and harassed. Take Sergeant Martyn Blake for example, a specialist firearms officer who faced down real danger and took action to stop the dangerous and violent gang member Chris Kaba. Instead of a medal, Sergeant Blake got a murder trial – a disgraceful decision. Thankfully, he was found not guilty. That should have been the end of it. But it's not. Sergeant Blake is now facing gross-misconduct charges by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, a quango that said on his acquittal they wanted to 'acknowledge Chris Kaba's family and friends today as they continue to grieve his death. Our thoughts and sympathies remain with them and everyone else who has been affected.' This is the world we've built – where the people risking their lives for us get treated like criminals by their own oversight bodies, while the criminals are venerated. Britain used to be about the person who put in the hard work, who did the right thing, who waited patiently in a queue for their turn and stood up for what is right. Slowly but surely, something is changing. When I talk to people around the country, I get a sense of profound frustration. The shop worker, getting up at the crack of dawn for their shift, driving past the house at the end of the street, curtains still closed, bin full of takeaways, sleeping off a hangover after a night watching TV (all paid for by the taxpayer). It's the electrician, who can't afford to replace the latest set of tools stolen out the back of his van, driving past the asylum hotel full of people who arrived here illegally and are about be told they can stay in Britain forever and live a life paid for by his taxes. It's got to stop. And it starts with enforcement and re-establishing order. When the Conservative Party is in government again, that's exactly what we will do. The party of law and order is back. And I am unashamedly on the side of those who do the right thing. Our cities are descending into chaos. It's not a public health emergency, as London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan keeps saying. It's a lack of bloody enforcement. We've all had enough of having to step over drug addicts while we go about shopping. Of toiletries and meat kept under lock and key in the supermarket. Of trains that seem to work for fare dodgers, not commuters – as highlighted by the shadow justice secretary Rob Jenrick in his excellent video this week. Labour is too busy releasing prisoners from their sentences early to get a grip on the situation. We have four more years of this, and when the time comes, we will need a party that knows how to fix problems, not just make noise. That starts with the broad-based plan the Conservatives are building. Our policy renewal programme is well underway and we are commissioning experts across the board to come up with the solutions to the challenges Britain faces today and will face over the next decade. Tomorrow, Robert Jenrick sets out another stage in our criminal justice proposals, which would help get a grip on the disorder in our prisons. The respected former prison governor, Ian Acheson, has conducted a rapid review to come up with solutions the government can adopt now. And this is just the beginning, there is more to come. Our problems are connected. We can never hope to get control of our streets if we are importing people who commit more crimes and don't deport them. We have to deal with immigration. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp and I set out the early stages of our plan to deal with that earlier this year: a hard cap on numbers, no pathway to citizenship without contribution, zero tolerance of foreign national offenders, and a real deterrent to stop those who try to come illegally. It says everything that one of Labour's first decisions in office was to scrap the Rwanda deterrent with no replacement. Now they vote against new proposals to tackle migration in Parliament, while offering milquetoast policies that do nothing to tackle the issue. Despite talking tough on migration, Reform's big idea is a new minister for deportations. Creating more politicians is not the solution for any of the problems the UK has right now. Conservatives are building for the long-term. I am ending the practice of rushing out policies and announcements with no plan. This approach may have been good for polling, but it was bad for the public. Instead, I am working on credible policies that will actually fix the UK's problems and ensure that those who work hard, make sacrifices and deliver safe communities and prosperity are rewarded, and those who break the rules are punished – severely. Other parties may race to the bottom of more hand-outs and more benefits. We are working on building a secure and prosperous country of which we can all be proud. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
With hounded police and pampered criminals, Britain is upside down
Our country is being taken for a ride and the public are sick to the back teeth of it. In April, Hashem Abedi, one of the men responsible for the Manchester Arena bombing, attacked prison guards with hot oil and a stabbing attack that seriously injured three officers. Abedi was also granted more than £1,200 in taxpayers' cash to launch an equal rights case in prison. Prison officers do invaluable work protecting the public and deserve better protection. Yet those who do the right thing and put their lives on the line for us often get hounded and harassed. Take Sergeant Martyn Blake for example, a specialist firearms officer who faced down real danger and took action to stop the dangerous and violent gang member Chris Kaba. Instead of a medal, Sergeant Blake got a murder trial – a disgraceful decision. Thankfully, he was found not guilty. That should have been the end of it. But it's not. Sergeant Blake is now facing gross-misconduct charges by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, a quango that said on his acquittal they wanted to 'acknowledge Chris Kaba's family and friends today as they continue to grieve his death. Our thoughts and sympathies remain with them and everyone else who has been affected.' This is the world we've built – where the people risking their lives for us get treated like criminals by their own oversight bodies, while the criminals are venerated. Britain used to be about the person who put in the hard work, who did the right thing, who waited patiently in a queue for their turn and stood up for what is right. Slowly but surely, something is changing. When I talk to people around the country, I get a sense of profound frustration. The shop worker, getting up at the crack of dawn for their shift, driving past the house at the end of the street, curtains still closed, bin full of takeaways, sleeping off a hangover after a night watching TV (all paid for by the taxpayer). It's the electrician, who can't afford to replace the latest set of tools stolen out the back of his van, driving past the asylum hotel full of people who arrived here illegally and are about be told they can stay in Britain forever and live a life paid for by his taxes. It's got to stop. And it starts with enforcement and re-establishing order. When the Conservative Party is in government again, that's exactly what we will do. The party of law and order is back. And I am unashamedly on the side of those who do the right thing. Our cities are descending into chaos. It's not a public health emergency, as London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan keeps saying. It's a lack of bloody enforcement. We've all had enough of having to step over drug addicts while we go about shopping. Of toiletries and meat kept under lock and key in the supermarket. Of trains that seem to work for fare dodgers, not commuters – as highlighted by the shadow justice secretary Rob Jenrick in his excellent video this week. Labour is too busy releasing prisoners from their sentences early to get a grip on the situation. We have four more years of this, and when the time comes, we will need a party that knows how to fix problems, not just make noise. That starts with the broad-based plan the Conservatives are building. Our policy renewal programme is well underway and we are commissioning experts across the board to come up with the solutions to the challenges Britain faces today and will face over the next decade. Tomorrow, Robert Jenrick sets out another stage in our criminal justice proposals, which would help get a grip on the disorder in our prisons. The respected former prison governor, Ian Acheson, has conducted a rapid review to come up with solutions the government can adopt now. And this is just the beginning, there is more to come. Our problems are connected. We can never hope to get control of our streets if we are importing people who commit more crimes and don't deport them. We have to deal with immigration. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp and I set out the early stages of our plan to deal with that earlier this year: a hard cap on numbers, no pathway to citizenship without contribution, zero tolerance of foreign national offenders, and a real deterrent to stop those who try to come illegally. It says everything that one of Labour's first decisions in office was to scrap the Rwanda deterrent with no replacement. Now they vote against new proposals to tackle migration in Parliament, while offering milquetoast policies that do nothing to tackle the issue. Despite talking tough on migration, Reform's big idea is a new minister for deportations. Creating more politicians is not the solution for any of the problems the UK has right now. Conservatives are building for the long-term. I am ending the practice of rushing out policies and announcements with no plan. This approach may have been good for polling, but it was bad for the public. Instead, I am working on credible policies that will actually fix the UK's problems and ensure that those who work hard, make sacrifices and deliver safe communities and prosperity are rewarded, and those who break the rules are punished – severely. Other parties may race to the bottom of more hand-outs and more benefits. We are working on building a secure and prosperous country of which we can all be proud.
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
High-security prison officer stabbed by inmate after 'argument'
A prison officer had to be airlifted to hospital after being stabbed by an inmate. The 25-year-old suffered serious injuries during the stabbing at around 10am on Friday at HMP Long Lartin. He is still in hospital. West Mercia Police were called and they say the suspect, a 22-year-old, is still in custody within the prison. The force has denied an audio recording circulating on social media, claiming to be of the aftermath of the incident, is in fact not connected. They have recovered a weapon as part of the investigation, and it is understood the weapon was smuggled into the prison. Assistant Chief Constable Grant Wills said: 'Whilst our investigation is in its early stages, we would like to clarify that this incident is not being treated as terrorism. 'Our initial enquiries suggest there was a disagreement between an inmate and prison officer that escalated and is an isolated matter within the prison. 'The injured prison officer currently remains in hospital in a stable condition, and we are sending him our best wishes for a full and quick recovery.' HMP Long Lartin, in South Littleton, Worcestershire, is both a category A and B prison and can hold more than 600 inmates. A Prison Service spokesperson said: 'Police are investigating an attack on a prison officer at HMP Long Lartin. 'We will not tolerate assaults on hardworking staff and will always push for the strongest punishments against perpetrators.' The news comes as the chair of the Prison Officers' Association warned it is 'only a matter of time' before a prison officer is murdered by an inmate. More Trending His warning is echoed by a former prison officer at HMP Frankland, who revealed exclusively to Metro that he had boiling urine thrown over him during his time there. New data shows the number of assaults on prison staff in England and Wales per year has reached its highest level in a decade. Recent high-profile attacks include Hashem Abedi, the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber, who reporeredly injured three HMP Frankland officers by throwing hot cooking oil over them and using 'home made weapons' last month. And earlier this month, Southport killer Axel Rudakubana is accused of throwing boiling water over an officer at HMP Belmarsh. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Peru Two drug mule warns Britons of 'hellish conditions' inside prison MORE: Multiple people seriously injured after car crashes into pedestrians in Leicester MORE: Man arrested after police officer injured when 'car reversed into him'
Metro
3 days ago
- Metro
UK prison chief calls for US-style 'supermax jails' to protect guards
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video It is only a matter of time before a prison officer is murdered by an inmate, the chairman of the Prison Officers' Association (POA) has warned. A prison officer was airlifted to hospital yesterday after being stabbed while on duty at the high security HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire. That attack came days after three prison officers were targeted – including one with boiling water and another left with a bleed on the brain – in 48 hours at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire. The number of assaults on staff in adult prisons in England and Wales per year has reached its highest level in a decade, new data shows. The figures come after several incidents in prisons have raised concerns over staff safety and the standard of protective equipment at work. Four officers were attacked with hot oil and homemade weapons by Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi at HMP Frankland in County Durham on April 12. Mark Fairhurst, chairman of the POA, has now called for those inmates posing the most risk to his staff to be 'totally locked down'. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said jails are 'awash' with 'all kinds of illicit items' – including drugs, phones and weapons – but 'we very rarely lock them down'. Mr Fairhurst said 'now is the time to introduce supermax facilities' like those in the US, 'so people who pose the most risk to staff are totally locked down'. 'It is only a matter of time before one of my colleagues is murdered on duty,' he added. Some 10,605 assaults on staff in male and female jails were recorded in 2024, up from 9,204 in 2023 and nearly three times the 3,640 in 2014. The rate of assaults on staff stood at 122 per 1,000 prisoners last year, up from 108 in 2023 and 43 a decade earlier. Mr Fairhurst linked the violence inside prisons to the amount of contraband being smuggled in from the outside using drones. 'We need to secure the airspace above our prisons,' he said. 'Why are our airspaces not tightened? Why do we have ingress of drones in our prisons? Surely there must be technology out there that prevents drones entering airspaces.' More Trending Metro has contacted the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) for comment. A spokesperson told the BBC that attacks on prison staff are 'unacceptable' and will not be tolerated. They said the MoJ was 'gripping the situation by investing in prison maintenance and security, working with the police and others to tackle serious organised crime'. A spokesman said earlier this month they are 'also bolstering security to stop more contraband entering jails'. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Peru Two drug mule warns Britons of 'hellish conditions' inside prison MORE: Multiple people seriously injured after car crashes into pedestrians MORE: Man arrested after police officer injured when 'car reversed into him'
