Soham murderer Ian Huntley seriously injured in prison assault
ian huntley has been seriously injured in an assault at HMP Frankland in County Durham and was taken to hospital, prompting a police investigation and treatment for a prisoner at the jail.
Attack took place in a prison workshop
It is understood the attack happened in a prison workshop just before 09: 30 GMT, while one official account records a call about the incident at 9. 23am on Thursday 26 February 2026. A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "We received a call at 9. 23am on Thursday 26 February 2026 to reports of an incident at HM Prison Frankland in County Durham. We dispatched two ambulance crews to the scene and requested support from the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS). One patient was transported to hospital by road. "
Ian Huntley taken to hospital after being found in a pool of blood
The prisoner, found in a pool of blood after an alleged attack by an unknown inmate, was transported to hospital by road. An air ambulance was dispatched to HMP Frankland, but the North East Ambulance Service confirmed the injured inmate was taken to hospital by road. A Prison Service spokesperson said: "It would be inappropriate to comment further while police investigate. " Durham Constabulary confirmed detectives are liaising with staff at the prison and that a police investigation is under way.
Sentence, age and custody details
The man injured is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years at HMP Frankland for the murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in August 2002. The 52-year-old was convicted for the deaths and is serving life in prison; one report described his condition as life-threatening following the assault.
Previous serious attack at HMP Frankland
It is not the first time the prisoner has been attacked at HMP Frankland. In 2011, an inmate who slashed his throat with a makeshift knife was jailed for life. Damien Fowkes was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years for the attempted murder of Huntley in March 2010 and the manslaughter of child killer Colin Hatch. Fowkes inflicted a wound seven inches long on the Soham murderer’s neck and the court was told it was only "good fortune" that the weapon missed anything vital.
The 2002 Soham murders and trial
The deaths of 10-year-olds Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells in Soham, Cambridgeshire on 4 August 2002 shocked the country. Huntley, originally from Grimsby and employed as a caretaker at Soham Village College, enticed both schoolgirls into his home and murdered them, then dumped their bodies in a ditch some 12 miles away. Two weeks after they disappeared, the bodies were found in a ditch near an air base in Lakenheath, Suffolk.
During his trial at the Old Bailey, prosecutor Richard Latham QC described Huntley as "ruthless" and said Huntley’s account of both deaths were "desperate lies. " In his evidence Huntley claimed Holly died accidentally after falling into his bath when he was helping her with a nosebleed. Suspicions were raised after he gave detailed interviews to the media following the girls’ disappearance.
Durham Constabulary has said detectives are continuing their inquiry and are liaising with prison staff. A Prison Service spokesperson reiterated that it would be inappropriate to comment further while police investigate; hospital treatment for the injured prisoner remains under way.
