PRISON officers at HMP Winchester have demanded urgent action after an inspectors’ report published today said that violence had “increased” at the notorious jail and safety remained a “major concern.”

The inspection, carried out last June and July, found high levels of violence, self-harm and suicides over the past three years, with a “significant deterioration” in conditions during that time.

The probe was ordered after the 174-year-old prison was put into special measures in 2018 due to government concerns about poor conditions and lack of proper resources for prisoners and staff.