Where is Wormwood Scrubs prison and what category is it?

WORMWOOD Scrubs is one of Britain's most notorious prison.

It has appeared in films and TV shows on many occasions, and is now a listed building. But what else do we know about it?

Where is HMP Wormwood Scrubs?

HMP Wormwood Scrubs is a Victorian jail built between 1874 and 1891 in Shepherd's Bush, West London, next to the 165-acre open space known as Wormwood Scrubs.

It is a "local" prison that receives all suitable male prisoners over the age of 18 who are remanded in custody by magistrates and crown courts, according to the Ministry of Justice.

During World War Two the jail was evacuated and cells were used as secure government offices including for MI5.

In 2009 the building was listed as Grade II thanks to the imposing brick gatehouse that is familiar from dozens of films and television shows.

Michael Caine's character is seen being released from the Scrubs at the beginning of The Italian Job.

What category is HMP Wormwood Scrubs?

Today it is a category B jail housing up to 1,279 lags in five wings and a number of smaller units.

Category B prisoners do not need the highest level of security like category A prisoners.

As a local prison it houses prisoners taken directly from court in the local area, whether sentenced or on remand.

Which famous prisoners have been held at HMP Wormwood Scrubs?

A roll-call of famous jailbirds have served time in the Scrubs:

• Keith Richards - Rolling Stones guitarist was briefly locked up on drugs charges.
• Pete Doherty - musician was pictured allegedly taking heroin in his cell during his sentence for breaching probation terms.
• Leslie Grantham - EastEnders star served ten years in English jails after killing a taxi driver in Germany in 1966.
• Mark Morrison - Return Of The Mack singer was jailed for paying a lookalike to do his community service while he went on tour.
• Charles Bronson - Britain's most violent prisoner was transferred to another jail after strangling the governor of Wormwood Scrubs.
• Ian Brady - Moors murderer said the Scrubs was his favourite prison. He worked as a barber cutting hair for inmates and staff in the 1970s.
• George Blake - British spy jailed for betraying MI6 agents to the KGB. He escaped from the Scrubs in 1966 and fled to the Soviet Union.
• John Stonehouse - former Labour minister convicted of fraud after faking his own death.
• Michael Tippett - pacifist classical composer was jailed for refusing to do military service in World War Two.

What incidents have happened at HMP Wormwood Scrubs?

In September 2018, 35 prison officers from Wormwood Scrubs walked out on strike over the unprecedented levels of violence in the jail, joining others from the Prison Officers’ Association.

Rory Stewart, Prisons Minister at the time, ordered the officers back to work saying the action was illegal.

An agreement was reached before the POA was taken to court.

Khader Ahmed Saleh, 25, was killed with "multiple knife wounds" in another inmate's cell on January 31, 2018.

The dad-of-one was awaiting sentencing on drugs offences.

His widow Salma Hassan, 20, said: “He should have been safe in the prison. Officers should be held accountable."

The jail has been plagued by gang violence and drugs and reports of staff shortages and poor conditions.

In December 2017, a report revealed a "dramatic" increase in violence against staff, with more than 90 assaults in six months.

Inspectors also found the jail often ran out of food, with staff left "scavenging" for basic items needed by inmates.

In one wing, warders had to dish out "mountain survival" dry food packs because the canteen ran out of hot meals.

A separate report found there were up to 50 violent incidents a month by inmates.

Some lags had only an hour a day outside their cells because of staff shortages, and the jail was found to be infested with rats and cockroaches.

Warder Dave Todd, of the Prison Officer Association, told of being "at the mercy" of violent inmates with just two officers overseeing 200 lags.

He said contraband was easily smuggled in, adding: "A package comes over the wall.

"Then the prisoners form a scrum so that the officers cannot see who has the contents."

The Ministry of Justice said it was recruiting more officers and working hard to put things right.

In July 2017 the Scrubs was named on a list of prisons "of serious concern".