CONDITIONS at a prison near Bromsgrove have been slammed.

In an anonymous letter to the Advertiser/Messenger, it has been claimed that HMP Blakenhurst, the category B prison at Tardebigge, has been "brought down to the same level as other archaic public sector prisons" since it was taken over last August by the Home Office.

Conditions of staff and prisoners are the main concerns.

The letter claims that a 25-year-old man starved himself to death in custodial care when he was refused hospital admission by the duty governor because there were not enough staff for a bed watch.

An inmate alleged to have set himself alight, was also taken to hospital with severe burns, but the letter claims nothing was done about it.

It also claims that negotiating officers, the Tornado Team, have had to be called out twice in three months.

But a Home Office spokesman said: "There was only one incident as far as we are aware. Thirty-three prisoners caused damage to fixtures and fitting and refused to return to their cells but it was resolved a few hours later."

The Home Office also claims that the 25-year-old prisoner died from natural causes in the health care unit on Monday, July 15.

Patricia Bradbury, who chairs the independent Board of Visitors at the prison, says a lack of staff is the root cause of the problems.

"Officers cut corners because there are less staff and with the prisons so full they have to lock prisoners in local police cells."

She says that there has been a detrimental impact on inmates who have to eat their meals in their cells, instead of a dining area.

"This gives the staff a break but it is far less hygienic to eat meals next to open lavatories and they have less time to socialise with others."

The Home Office spokesman added: "This is not unusual practice for prisoners. It happens in many others all over the country."