Prison report reveals rise in attacks before disgraced Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins killed at HMP Wakefield
A report revealing a rise in violent attacks at HMP Wakefield was published just weeks before the death of disgraced rock star Ian Watkins at the prison, dubbed “Monster Mansion”.
Inspectors arrived unannounced at HMP Wakefield in August and found that safety had deteriorated, a report from the Prisons Inspectorate revealed.
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The report found that almost three quarters of prisoners said they felt unsafe during their time at the prison.
Violent incidents had increased by 62 per cent with a 72 per cent rise in serious assaults.
Safety at the prison has declined from being “reasonably good” in 2022 to “poor” in 2025, the report added.
The news comes as two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of the former Lostprophets frontman yesterday.
Emergency services were sent to the prison in West Yorkshire but Watkins was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two men, aged 25 and 43, have been arrested and are in police custody, police said.
Watkins was serving a 29-year sentence for child sex offences.
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: “Detectives have launched a murder investigation after the death of a man in HMP Wakefield.
“Officers were called by staff at the prison at 9.39am this morning (Saturday) to reports of a serious assault on a prisoner.
“A man aged 48 was found with serious injuries. Despite medical attention he was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Two men aged 25 and 43 have been arrested on suspicion of murder and are currently in police custody.
“Detectives from the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team are investigating and inquiries remain ongoing.”
The high-security prison houses some of the most dangerous men in the country, and previous inmates have included child murderer Ian Huntley and killer GP Harold Shipman. The vast majority of its near 650 prisoners are serving long or life sentences for the most severe crimes.
A report by the Prisons Inspectorate found that older sex offenders were most likely to be violence victims.
Inspectors also said prisoners were spending too much time locked in their cells, with around half of prisoners locked up during the working day, many of whom have chosen to self isolate for their own safety.
The report highlighted health care provision had improved significantly and its public protection work was robust.
Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said: “This unannounced inspection revealed a prison grappling with significant operational pressures, an ageing and deteriorating infrastructure, and a shifting prisoner demographic; all of which challenged its ability to deliver safe, decent and purposeful outcomes .”
He added: “HMP Wakefield was a prison under strain.
“While there were pockets of good practice and committed staff working hard to deliver decent outcomes, the cumulative impact of infrastructure failures, staffing pressures and a changing prisoner population were significant challenges.”