BULLYING is rife in the Worcestershire prison where the fourth inmate was found dead in just 10 weeks, it is claimed.

David Steven Boote, aged 33, of no fixed abode, was found hanging in his cell at Blakenhurst prison on Sunday night.

Boote, who was on remand at the category-B prison near Redditch for the murder of a Birmingham woman, was found at about 10.45pm by a prison officer. He was on suicide watch in the healthcare unit and is believed to have used a sheet to hang himself.

And on the same night, another inmate was found having harmed himself.

Tricia Bradbury, chairman of West Mercia probation board and a volunteer on the independent monitoring board at Blakenhurst, said the latest death at the prison was "alarming".

"Everyone's devastated that this should have happened so soon. It's the fourth death this year.

"It's horrendous and we need to look at what on earth we can do to stop these incidents re-occurring."

Problem

She said a report had highlighted the problem of staff shortages and overcrowding at the prison.

She also said like all prisons across the country, bullying was a problem.

"There's no evidence to show that Blakenhurst is worse than anywhere else," said Mrs Bradbury.

"But unfortunately bullying is endemic within the prison system."

She said prisoners were able to make complaints about any aspect of prison life to the monitoring board by leaving messages in secure post boxes that could only be accessed by board members.

"We have seen a rise in complaints from prisoners," she said.

An investigation has been launched by the Prison Service into Boote's death.

There are also continuing investigations into the deaths of Ian Thomas Price, found hanging in his cell on May 13, Steven Wilson, who was discovered hanging in his cell on March 30 and Rajwinder Singh Mutti, who was also found hanging in his cell the next day.

A Prison Service spokesman said: "The prisoners sign an anti-bullying contract, and all allegations of bullying are fully investigated."

n Do you have relatives at Blakenhurst Prison? Call Leda Reynolds on 01905 742267 or write to the Evening News, Berrows House, Hylton Road, Worcester, WR2 5JX.