Prison governor seriously injured after being ‘beaten up by inmate in the canteen’
Jail service seeking 'strongest punishment possible' after 'unprovoked' attack
A PRISON governor has been seriously injured after an "unprovoked" beating by an inmate in the jail canteen.
Paul Cawkwell had been chatting with a prisoner before he was attacked at HMP Wayland in Norfolk.
A prison service spokesman has said they will "push for the strongest possible punishment" for the inmate, who has now been moved to another jail,
The Ministry of Justice has confirmed they are investigating the brutal attack, after the prison governor needed hospital treatment for his injuries.
Mr Cawkwell has held a number of senior positions in the prison service.
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The BBC's source, who wouldn't reveal their identity, expressed concerns about category C HMP Wayland.
Their anxieties echoed those expressed in a report about the prison last year.
In its most recent annual report, Wayland's Independent Monitoring Board said it was concerned about "staff shortages of up to 22%".
Vice chairman Roger Marston said the board was due to published its latest report soon.
He added that "a huge amount had been done in terms of recruitment and we have a full complement of staff".
Mr Marston also confessed there has been a slight increase in violence at the jail over the last year.
In June a HMP Wayland prisoner was jailed for attacking two guards, with one of them being bitten, according to police.
In May, roughly 20 inmates got into a "food fight", while the same month two prisoners tried to grab keys from officers.