ASSAULTS in prisons across Worcestershire have increased significantly in the last five years - with HMP Hewell seeing a rise of 253 per cent.

The prison in Redditch saw 681 assaults recorded in 2017 compared to 193 in 2012.

Figures released by the Ministry of Justice revealed 176 of the assaults were on prison staff and 107 assaults were defined as ‘serious’ which includes sexual assaults and those where victims required hospital in-patient treatment.

The numbers also reveal that 635 cases of self-harm were recorded at Hewell last year, compared to just 196 in 2012.

A report released in July 2017 found that HMP Hewell was failing to implement recommendations to prevent self-harm and said the handling of new inmates was chaotic due to staff being overwhelmed.

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Peter Clarke found a “startling increase in all types of violence” and that self-harm was rising at an alarming rate.

Prisoner Joshua Bernard, 24, punched a prison officer at HMP Hewell earlier this year after he became angry over a missing DVD player.

The figures also show a dramatic increase in assault at high-security prison Long Lartin.

The category A prison in South Littleton near Evesham saw 79 assaults in 2017 - 43 of which were on prison staff.

Of the assaults recorded last year, 15 were described as ‘serious’ which includes sexual assaults and where victims required hospital in-patient treatment. It is a significant increase on 2012 when 43 assaults were recorded.

In 2017, 227 cases of self-harm were recorded in Long Lartin - an increase of 62 per cent on 2012.

In October 2017, a riot at Long Lartin involving 81 inmates saw staff attacked with pool balls.

However, a report released this week said Long Lartin was “stable and well-controlled” despite two murders since 2014 and the riot last year.

The report said that overall levels of violence had not risen, with assaults on prisoners falling since the last inspection, though an increase in assaults against staff was concerning.

The Ministry of Justice was unavailable for comment.