Prison Officer Reportedly Airlifted After Stabbing at HMP Long Lartin
A prison officer has reportedly been stabbed and seriously injured, raising serious questions about how such violence can once again erupt inside one of Britain’s most secure jails.
A prison officer has reportedly been airlifted to hospital with serious injuries following a stabbing by an inmate inside HMP Long Lartin this morning. The incident, first confirmed by West Mercia Police, has now been reported by The Mercian News to involve a staff member, intensifying concerns over safety in Britain’s high-security prison system following a spate of attacks on prison officers.
The attack occurred shortly before 9 am at the Category A men’s prison in South Littleton, near Evesham. Emergency services responded swiftly, with an ambulance, two paramedic officers, and the Midlands Air Ambulance attending the scene. The victim was treated on-site for serious injuries before being flown to hospital for further care.
In a statement, West Mercia Police said:
“We were called to HMP Long Lartin in South Littleton around 10am this morning (Friday, May 30), following a report someone had been assaulted by an inmate. One man was taken to hospital with serious injuries after sustaining a stab wound. The inmate remains within the prison and the investigation is on-going.”
West Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed they were called at 8.39am to reports of a stabbing and that the man was seriously injured.
Although the prison service has not yet issued an official statement, The Mercian News has reported that the victim is a prison officer. If this early information holds, it marks yet another chilling escalation in the risks faced by those charged with maintaining safety and order behind the wire.
There are also early, unconfirmed reports that the weapon may have been smuggled in via drone. If proven, this would expose a massive breach in prison security protocols. Drone drops have long been flagged by frontline staff as a growing and poorly contained threat—one that modern technology and under-resourced teams are struggling to stop.
Every day, prison officers walk into an environment where violence is not a possibility but a probability. But a stabbing severe enough to require an airlift from a maximum-security prison isn’t just another workplace injury. It’s a red flare from inside the system, signalling that control is being lost in ways the public rarely sees.
This incident is far from isolated. It fits into a wider pattern of increasing violence, overstretched staff, and prisons operating well past their limits. Whether it’s officers assaulted on landings or contraband raining from the skies, the frontlines are under siege.
The assault at HMP Long Lartin is the latest in a series of violent incidents targeting prison staff across the UK. In April, three officers at HMP Frankland suffered serious injuries when Hashem Abedi, convicted for his role in the evil Manchester Arena bombing, attacked them with boiling oil and improvised weapons. This incident prompted the Ministry of Justice to initiate a review into prison safety measures.
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Similarly, at HMP Belmarsh in May, Axel Rudakubana, serving a 52-year sentence for the sickening, cowardly and evil murder of three little girls in Southport, allegedly threw boiling water over a prison officer. The officer was hospitalised but later discharged.
These attacks have intensified calls from unions and officials for better protective gear and tighter control measures inside prisons at a time when the Ministry of Justice appears unable to safeguard its own officers from serious harm.
We will continue following this story as it develops. The officer’s condition has not yet been publicly updated. Make sure you subscribe to this newsletter for updates.
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I really hope & pray that the Prison Officer makes a full recovery.
The government is really going to have to get to grips with dealing with violent prisoners. Its a Health & Safety Issue