TOUGH CELL

Can you guess the sinister secret lurking behind this stunning UK hotel?

These British hotels may be luxurious and comfortable... but it doesn't bear thinking about the people who could have stayed in there before you

THESE hotel rooms may be a bit short on the window front, but otherwise you'd never guess that there was anything particularly unusual about them.

The truth, however, is that by staying in them, you'd be following the footsteps of some of Britain's most feared criminals - since these guest houses are actually all converted prisons.

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Cops were slammed earlier this week for offering an eerie Halloween sleepover in Fred West's former prison cell at Steelhouse Lane lock-up in Birmingham, designed to show well-behaved citizens what the "other side" looks like.

But while the £75-a-night event may seem a bit ghoulish, it turns out that there are plenty of places you can spend some time at Her Majesty's Pleasure without falling foul of the law...

The £180-a-night Malmaison hotel used to be Oxford Prison, but now its walkways have been turned into a sleek place to stay

Malmaison Hotel, Oxford

Many complain that our cushy prisons are turning into hotels... but you can bet you won't find a jail as luxurious as this.

The £180-a-night Malmaison hotel used to be Oxford Prison, which itself is located inside the high walls of a medieval castle. The prison was active for hundreds of years, and used to house inmates as young as seven.

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To make it even more impressive, the prison is built into a medieval castleCredit: Alamy

However, since closing in 1996, the Malmaison hotel chain took over, converting many of the cells into rooms and refurbishing the walkways with stylish glass panelling.

Meanwhile, rooms connected to capital punishment were converted into offices, so you can't spend the night on death row... if that's what you were hoping.

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Luxury is the order of the day for today's inmates
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The rooms used to be much less glamorous before they were convertedCredit: Rex Features
The traditional jail has been turned into a classy venue for weddings and other events

Clink 78 Hostel, London

Clink, in the Kings Cross area of London, used to be a courthouse, but now it's a super-trendy hostel where guests are housed in refurbished cells.

Legendary punk rockers The Clash appeared at the courthouse in 1978 when they were charged for shooting racing pigeons with an air rifle.

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Clink Hostel is set in the courthouse where The Clash once appearedCredit: Clink78 Hostel
Many of the old cells have been converted into one or two-person roomsCredit: Clink78 Hostel

If you want to follow in their footsteps then you can bunk up with a partner in crime from £54 or, if you're travelling solo, you can book a room in solitary confinement for £45 .

Meanwhile, a room in a shared dorm works out from £12 per night - attracting a lively backpacker crowd. But no matter how rowdy you get, you can guarantee that you won't be the worst person to have spent the night here.

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The hostel bar is set in the heart of the old courthouseCredit: Clink78 Hostel

The Courthouse Hotel, London

Formerly Old Street Magistrates Court and Police Station, this 128-room hotel is located in the heart of Shoreditch - once a gritty corner of London renowned for gangster activity.

 The Courthouse Hotel can be found in the once-rough Shoreditch areaCredit: Alamy

It's no surprise, then, that The Courthouse once played host to the infamous Kray twins in its past life.

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Today, the cells have been refurbished into private booths, but the prison feel persists... and you can experience it starting at £160 per night.

Today, many of the cells have been converted into private booths

The Bridewell Prison Hotel, Liverpool

Bridewell prison in Liverpool was used as the city's main lock-up for over 130 years, until it was shut in 1997.

Today, the 90-cell jail is now a boutique hotel, with the exercise yard converted into a glass-covered lounge and the former cells converted into comfortable bedrooms.

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HMP Bridewell, in Liverpool, is now a trendy hotel anyone can stay inCredit: Alamy
Cell bedrooms have photos of their former inhabitants in them

Rooms here are furnished with photos of former inmates, and the same thick prison doors still stand at the entrance to each cell.

Guests can spend the night for around £40, but they should take note of the old plaque which still hangs in reception: "Please do not ask for bail because a refusal often offends."

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The exercise yard has been converted into a light and airy lounge area
Original cell doors keep guests in overnight
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Penny Rope, Margate

Guests at this prison-themed hotel are kept in their room with heavy metal doors and sleep in cell-like bunks.

Fortunately, they're free to come and go as they please, but otherwise the Penny Rope Bed Chamber feels like the real deal.

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