PRISON officers suffered serious injuries when Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi attacked them, the Prison Officers Association (POA) said today.

Mr Abedi threw hot cooking oil over three officers before stabbing them with home-made weapons in the “unprovoked” and “vicious” incident at HMP Frankland in Co Durham on Saturday, the trade union revealed.

Counter Terrorism Policing North East is leading the investigation into the “serious assault,” which the POA said had left the officers with life-threatening injuries, including burns, scalds and stab wounds.