‘Squalid’, scandal-hit prison forced to order coats, blankets and soup for inmates after heating failure

A heating and hot-water failure at HMP Wandsworth became so severe last November that it was officially recorded as a “loss of service”. The monitoring board says the episode highlights the prison’s deteriorating conditions and warned that problems will continue until its systems are fully replaced.

Managers ordered 1,500 extra coats, 1,000 blankets and 2,000 instant soups and noodles for prisoners; indoor temperatures have fallen to 12C. The board also described the Victorian prison as overcrowded and unsanitary, with around one third of staff absent or unavailable on an average day. Wandsworth holds 60 to 80 per cent more people than it was designed for, and most prisoners share cells intended for one person.