Assaults on prison officers are up almost 40 per cent with a tragedy now ‘inevitable’, inspectors warned yesterday

PRISONS are seeing a “startling” increase in violence with a tragedy now “inevitable”, inspectors warned yesterday.

Assaults on officers are up 38 per cent — sparked by a surge in convicts taking synthetic drugs.

There has also been a “staggering” slump in standards in youth jails, with assaults and self-harming in 2016 double that of six years ago.

Not a single facility is safe, the report warned. Suicide and self-harm in female prisons has risen dramatically, too.

The Chief Inspector of Prisons also revealed lags are often held in their cells for 22 hours a day.

Former top Met cop Peter Clarke said he warned last year that jails had become “unacceptably violent”.

He added: “The situation has not improved. It’s worse.”

The Ministry of Justice insisted welfare was “an absolute priority”.