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Wales Online
29-04-2025
- Wales Online
HMP Berwyn prisoners claim thousands for bunkbed mishaps and 'injuries by staff'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Prisons can be dangerous places for inmates and not always for the reasons you might expect. Over the last five years, tens of thousands of pounds have been paid out at HMP Berwyn, Wrexham, in compensation for personal injuries such as animal bites and bunk bed mishaps. Compensation figures were released amid growing concerns for the safety of both staff and inmates, with Britain's overcrowded prisons hitting record levels last year. Latest prison population statistics show there are only just over 1,000 spaces left in men's prisons. Between 2020 and 2024, pay-outs worth more than £133,000 were settled at HMP Berwyn, Wrexham's Category C men's prison. A sizeable tranche was as a result of injuries caused by other prisoners (£48,918). A further £31,603 related to prisoner injuries caused by members of staff. But the biggest category was 'other personal injury', which could include asbestos, food contamination and bunk bed scrapes. At Berwyn, the largest prison in England and Wales with a capacity of 2,106 inmates, this amounted to £53,300 over the five years. Freedom of Information figures obtained by Legal Expert revealed that, across all of the UK's prisons, bunk beds resulted in the biggest personal injury claims, with £4.5m being paid to inmates since 2022. Next most costly were slips, trips and falls. At Berwyn, claims across all categories peaked in 2022 when £47,514.74 was paid to prisoners. Since then, annual settlements have amounted to £29,564 in 2023 and £32,124 last year. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now According to Legal Expert's figures, Berwyn's staff-on-inmate claims were among the highest in UK prisons. Pay-outs in this category were bigger only at HMPs Pentonville, Nottingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Aylesbury, Highpoint and Highdown. (Image: Legal Expert) At two UK prisons, the compensation claims ran to millions. Topping the list was HMP Chelmsford (£5.57m over five years), largely due to substantial prisoner-on-prisoner pay-outs. Second was HMP Leicester (£3.21m over five years), nearly all of it relating to 'other personal injury' claims. In terms of the overall compensation rankings, the Wrexham prison was outside the top 10, with a total bill of £133,821. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox (Image: Legal Expert) Reform of the prison system has been promised but until this happens, compensation pay-outs to prisoners are likely to continue, said Legal Expert solicitor Lucy Parker. In the last five years the UK bill came to an eye-watering £9.8m. She added: 'Prisoners, like anyone else, have a right to their safety while incarcerated. We have seen many different cases over the years of prisoners suffering injuries during their incarceration, from accidents in workshops and kitchens to incidents with staff. 'When they are injured due to negligence, whether it's at the hands of an officer, a slip and fall, or inadequate safety measures, they have the right to seek compensation and to get legal advice on their case.' By the end of last year, the prison population in England and Wales was more than 85,000, having increased by more than 40,000 since 1993. A review of the justice system is being led by former justice secretary David Gauke, who published an interim report in February warning prisons were overcrowded and "on the brink of collapse". A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "Our jails are overcrowded, have been neglected for too long, and our hardworking staff are over-stretched. By addressing this crisis, we can begin the work of improving prison conditions to reduce the need for compensation claims and ensure taxpayer money is spent more effectively. 'The Government is investing in prison maintenance and security, and prisoners who are violent towards staff or other prisoners will face the full consequences of their actions.' Find crime figures for your area
North Wales Live
29-04-2025
- North Wales Live
HMP Berwyn prisoners claim thousands for bunkbed mishaps and 'injuries by staff'
Prisons can be dangerous places for inmates and not always for the reasons you might expect. Over the last five years, tens of thousands of pounds have been paid out at HMP Berwyn, Wrexham, in compensation for personal injuries such as animal bites and bunk bed mishaps. Compensation figures were released amid growing concerns for the safety of both staff and inmates, with Britain's overcrowded prisons hitting record levels last year. Latest prison population statistics show there are only just over 1,000 spaces left in men's prisons. Between 2020 and 2024, pay-outs worth more than £133,000 were settled at HMP Berwyn, Wrexham's Category C men's prison. A sizeable tranche was as a result of injuries caused by other prisoners (£48,918). A further £31,603 related to prisoner injuries caused by members of staff. But the biggest category was 'other personal injury', which could include asbestos, food contamination and bunk bed scrapes. At Berwyn, the largest prison in England and Wales with a capacity of 2,106 inmates, this amounted to £53,300 over the five years. Freedom of Information figures obtained by Legal Expert revealed that, across all of the UK's prisons, bunk beds resulted in the biggest personal injury claims, with £4.5m being paid to inmates since 2022. Next most costly were slips, trips and falls. At Berwyn, claims across all categories peaked in 2022 when £47,514.74 was paid to prisoners. Since then, annual settlements have amounted to £29,564 in 2023 and £32,124 last year. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now According to Legal Expert's figures, Berwyn's staff-on-inmate claims were among the highest in UK prisons. Pay-outs in this category were bigger only at HMPs Pentonville, Nottingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Aylesbury, Highpoint and Highdown. At two UK prisons, the compensation claims ran to millions. Topping the list was HMP Chelmsford (£5.57m over five years), largely due to substantial prisoner-on-prisoner pay-outs. Second was HMP Leicester (£3.21m over five years), nearly all of it relating to 'other personal injury' claims. In terms of the overall compensation rankings, the Wrexham prison was outside the top 10, with a total bill of £133,821. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Reform of the prison system has been promised but until this happens, compensation pay-outs to prisoners are likely to continue, said Legal Expert solicitor Lucy Parker. In the last five years the UK bill came to an eye-watering £9.8m. She added: 'Prisoners, like anyone else, have a right to their safety while incarcerated. We have seen many different cases over the years of prisoners suffering injuries during their incarceration, from accidents in workshops and kitchens to incidents with staff. 'When they are injured due to negligence, whether it's at the hands of an officer, a slip and fall, or inadequate safety measures, they have the right to seek compensation and to get legal advice on their case.' By the end of last year, the prison population in England and Wales was more than 85,000, having increased by more than 40,000 since 1993. A review of the justice system is being led by former justice secretary David Gauke, who published an interim report in February warning prisons were overcrowded and "on the brink of collapse". A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "Our jails are overcrowded, have been neglected for too long, and our hardworking staff are over-stretched. By addressing this crisis, we can begin the work of improving prison conditions to reduce the need for compensation claims and ensure taxpayer money is spent more effectively. 'The Government is investing in prison maintenance and security, and prisoners who are violent towards staff or other prisoners will face the full consequences of their actions.'
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Yahoo
Over 7,000 people arrested for drink-driving in West Yorkshire in last three years
MORE than 7,000 people have been arrested for drink-driving in West Yorkshire in the last three years, new figures show. According to data obtained by law firm Legal Expert via Freedom of Information (FOI) Act requests, West Yorkshire Police made a total of 7,254 arrests for drink-driving between December 2021 and November 2024, with 5,685 charges made. It is the fourth highest number of arrests recorded out of all UK police forces since 2021, coming behind only London, Northern Ireland and the West Midlands. A West Yorkshire Police chief described the offence as "absolutely unacceptable" - and said the force takes it "very seriously". West Yorkshire Police also revealed the most prolific areas for drink-driving in the last year in the FOI response. Leeds came out on top, with 651 arrests made in 2023-24. It was followed by Bradford, where 413 arrests were made. A further 377 arrests were made in Kirklees, 359 in Wakefield and 216 in Calderdale. The most common age group to be arrested for drink-driving in West Yorkshire in the last year was those aged between 18 and 34, accounting for 43 per cent of the figures, closely followed by 35 to 51-year-olds, making up 42 per cent. Eighty per cent of people arrested for drink-driving in West Yorkshire last year were male. Legal Expert's road traffic accident specialist, Tracy Chick, said: "Drink-driving is such an avoidable offence and there is no excuse for drinking and getting behind the wheel." Chief Inspector James Farrar, head of the roads policing unit at West Yorkshire Police, said: "Driving while under the influence of drink and drugs is absolutely unacceptable. "It is a cause of some of the very serious collisions we see on our roads which often lead to people being killed or seriously injured. "West Yorkshire Police takes drink and drug-driving very seriously - and we conduct regular road safety operations all year round to catch those committing driving offences, including drink and drug-driving. "We do, of course, also continue to carry out our specialist Operation Limit drink and drug-drive campaign every Christmas and New Year. "The Christmas 2024 Operation Limit, which recently concluded, resulted in 186 suspected drink-drive arrests, and 93 for suspected drug-driving. "We will prosecute in all cases where persons are found to be over the drink-drive limit and also continue to support our Vision Zero partnership strategy in West Yorkshire."
