The Manchester bomb plotter, Hashem Abedi, has been moved to Belmarsh prison in south-east London after a violent incident at HMP Frankland in County Durham, in which three prison officers were seriously assaulted.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, involved hot oil and improvised weapons used against the officers. Following the attack, Abedi was transferred to Belmarsh – one of the UK’s most secure facilities.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) confirmed that a review will be launched into the circumstances of the assault.
A Downing Street spokesperson said the Government was treating the matter with urgency, and a thorough investigation will be conducted.
However, Mark Fairhurst, National Chairman of the Prison Officers’ Association, expressed concern over the lack of immediate action, stating that the Government “haven’t even announced who’s doing it yet” and no terms of reference have been shared.
Serious Concerns Raised Over Prison Security
After visiting Frankland, Mr Fairhurst confirmed that the separation unit where the attack occurred had been “decanted” due to it being treated as a crime scene.
He is expected to meet with Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood next Wednesday to discuss the fallout and future safety measures. “It highlights how dangerous our job is. We need protective equipment issued to us. The Government need to lower our retirement age,” he told PA.
Fairhurst also revealed that two of the injured staff remain in hospital. He described the current mood among prison staff as “traumatised”, “fragile”, and “angry” at what he described as an “appeasement” of dangerous inmates.
Though prison officers are legally barred from striking, Mr Fairhurst hinted that health and safety legislation might be explored to enforce better protections. “Everyone deserves to be safe at work,” he added.
Martin Hibbert, who suffered life-changing injuries during the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, condemned the incident in an open letter to the Justice Secretary. Addressing Shabana Mahmood and the MoJ directly, Hibbert said he was “absolutely disgusted – beyond words” by the events at Frankland.
“Let’s call this what it is: a catastrophic failure of your duty to protect prison staff and the public from an unrepentant terrorist,” he wrote.
“Not only was Abedi allowed the freedom to move around and use facilities that should never be available to someone like him – he was able to track and target three prison guards using boiling oil and homemade weapons.”
Hibbert, who was left with a spinal cord injury, and whose daughter Eve suffered severe brain damage in the 2017 attack that killed 22 people, said: “I was told justice would be served. What I see now is not justice. It’s a shameful lack of accountability and basic prison security.
I’m not just angry. I’m broken by this. And I am furious that the pain of survivors like me is being so blatantly disrespected by your inaction.”
He called for Abedi to be immediately stripped of access to materials that could be turned into weapons and placed under strict control. “This cannot continue. Something drastic needs to be done. Not tomorrow. Not next month. Now. Because right now, it feels like you’ve forgotten us.”
Families Demand Solitary Confinement
According to a BBC report, the families of victims Megan Hurley, Eilidh Macleod, Chloe Rutherford, Liam Curry, and Kelly Brewster also wrote to the Justice Secretary, expressing “absolute disbelief” over the attack.
The letter reportedly stated: “In our view, he should not be allowed any privileges whatsoever while serving a sentence for the deaths of 22 innocent lives and the injuring of many more. He should not have access to anything that he can weaponise, such as hot oil or items he can turn into blades.”
The grieving families are calling for Abedi to be held in permanent solitary confinement.
Background on Hashem Abedi
Hashem Abedi was convicted for planning and preparing the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing alongside his brother, Salman Abedi, who carried out the suicide attack. After being extradited from Libya, Hashem was sentenced in 2020 to a record 55-year minimum term before being eligible for parole. He was found guilty of 22 counts of murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to cause an explosion likely to endanger life.
