Durham, UK — A former officer at HMP Frankland has issued a stark warning about the dangers faced by prison staff, following a violent attack last week involving Hashem Abedi, the brother of Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi.
The ex-officer described the working conditions as “unsafe” and warned that “a staff member will end up dead” if urgent changes aren’t made to prioritize safety over prisoner privileges.
The warning follows a disturbing incident in which Hashem Abedi, 28, launched a vicious assault on staff at the high-security Durham prison.
Abedi, housed in one of the UK’s most secure prison wings due to the threat he poses, reportedly attacked officers with scalding cooking oil.
One officer sustained third-degree burns, and two others were stabbed and required emergency surgery.
Despite the high-security conditions in place at HMP Frankland, the attack has raised questions about how such a violent event could occur.
The former officer, who chose to remain anonymous, revealed the psychological toll the job takes, admitting he couldn’t sleep after hearing news of the assault. “They might never go back to work,” he said, referring to the injured officers.
The retired officer served four years across multiple UK prisons before stepping away due to the escalating dangers of the role. During his time on the job, he was physically assaulted multiple times—punched, kicked, and once doused with boiling urine.
On a short-term posting to HMP Woodhill, he also witnessed a colleague being stabbed in the neck.
Commenting on Abedi, who is being held in a separation unit to prevent him from influencing other inmates, the former officer said, “It’s not a matter of if he kills a prison officer, it’s when.”
Abedi is under constant watch by a three-person security team and was previously involved in another attack on a staff member while held at HMP Belmarsh in 2020.
The ex-officer highlighted the lack of effective preventative measures, even in what he described as one of the “most staffed and safest” prisons he had worked in. “If you can’t stop attacks there, where can you?” he asked.
He added that Abedi is likely now under six-person supervision, but expressed concern this would be scaled back over time, increasing the risk of future assaults.
The separation units at HMP Frankland and HMP Full Sutton in Yorkshire currently house about 20 high-risk inmates. While these prisoners can interact with each other, they are kept isolated from the broader prison population to reduce the risk of radicalization.
The former officer also criticized the prison system for prioritizing inmate comfort over staff security. He revealed that some prisoners are allowed to keep televisions and PlayStations in their cells and that removing these privileges is often blocked by psychologists, citing potential harm to inmates’ mental health.
“There’s just not enough support. Staffing levels are too low. We’re always at risk,” he said. “The ship isn’t sinking—it’s already sunk.”
Responding to the attack, Minister for Prisons Lord James Timpson visited HMP Frankland this week to thank staff and assess the situation. “Like everyone, I was appalled by the attack,” he said. “This government will do everything it can to protect those working in our prisons.”
As part of an immediate response, the use of kitchens has been suspended for inmates in separation and close supervision units.
An independent investigation has also been launched to determine how the attack occurred, with further details on its scope expected soon.
