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A police officer who was stabbed in the chest at HMP Frankland has been taken to hospital in a critical condition.
Durham Police said the officer, who is from Greater Manchester Police, was injured just after 11am on Tuesday.
Emergency services, including land and air ambulance crews, rushed him to hospital and he is now said to be conscious and talking.
A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Police said: “An officer from our Major Incident Team was stabbed by an inmate at HM Prison Frankland.
“He was transported to hospital in a critical condition, where he is being treated for his injuries.
“We have made the family aware of this incident and are supporting them through this incredibly difficult time.”
A local resident said they saw the air ambulance land near the Category A prison, which houses some of the UK’s worst criminals, murderers and terrorists.
A spokesman for Durham Police said: “Shortly after 11am this morning, Durham Constabulary were called to an incident at HMP Frankland in Durham City.
“A police officer, who was visiting the facility from an outside force, suffered a stab wound to the chest during the incident.
“The injured officer has been taken to hospital by ambulance, where he is described as being ‘conscious and talking’.”
Home to more than 800 prisoners, it has held a number of high-profile criminals which includes child killer Levi Bellfield, Charles Bronson, and former Met Police officer Wayne Couzens.
An inspection in 2020 by the HM Inspectorate of Prisons found that it had maintained strong standards across the board, particularly its security measures.
Almost all those held are serving sentences of longer than ten years, with the majority serving indeterminate or life sentences.
Inmates currently being held at the jail include Damien Bendall, who is serving a whole life term for murdering his partner Terri Harris, 35, her daughter Lacey Bennett, 11, her son John Paul Bennett, 13, and Lacey’s friend Connie Gent, also 11, in Killamarsh, Derbyshire, in 2021.
The Sun reported in May that he had attacked another inmate at the prison with a claw hammer.