Police have shared an update on the 'serious condition' of an inmate after reports emerged claiming child killer Ian Huntley has been left fighting for his life.
The former school caretaker - who is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years - is alleged to have been attacked this morning (26 February) while behind bars at HMP Frankland.
The 52-year-old was left lying in a pool of his own blood at the prison in County Durham after a fellow lag targeted him at around 9am, according to The Sun.
Huntley was taken to hospital via ambulance in wake of the incident, with a source telling the publication it was 'touch and go' for him as he was allegedly beaten with a metal pole.
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In an update, police have since revealed the injured inmate remains in hospital and is receiving treatment for head injuries.
Meanwhile, the alleged attacker has also been identified by officers who have been tasked with investigating the incident, Durham Constabulary said.
In a fresh statement shared on Thursday afternoon, a spokesman for the force explained: "The 52-year-old prisoner who was injured during this morning’s assault in the workshop at HMP Frankland remains in a serious condition in hospital following treatment for head injuries.
"Police forensic teams have examined the scene of the attack throughout the day to gather evidence.
"A suspect, a male prisoner in his mid-40s, has been identified by officers investigating the incident.
"He has not been arrested at this stage but remains in detention within the prison."
Huntley, known as the 'Soham killer', has been locked up for more than two decades after being convicted of the horrific murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.
The 10-year-old schoolgirls - who were each wearing their beloved Manchester United shirts - were killed by Huntley after leaving a family barbecue to buy sweets in Soham, Cambridgeshire.
Sentencing him in 2003, Mr Justice Moses said of Holly and Jessica: "You enticed two 10-year-old girls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, into your house. They were happy, intelligent and loyal.
"They were much loved by their families and all who knew them. You murdered them both. You are the one person who knows how you murdered them, you are the one person who knows why.
"You destroyed the evidence, which showed no mercy and no regret. Once you killed one of them, you had to kill the other in an attempt to avoid detection.
"On the 10th of August, six days later, you told the BBC that you were the last friendly face these two girls had to speak to. That was a lie which served to underline the persistent cruelty of your actions."
Holly and Jessica's bodies were tragically found in a ditch near an airbase at Mildenhall in Suffolk after a two-week search.
Huntley's then fiancée, Maxine Carr, was a teaching assistant at Holly and Jessica's school and gave Huntley a false alibi.
She was given three-and-a-half years for perverting the course of justice and given a new identity on release. Carr was granted a lifelong anonymity order in 2005.
It's reported that the infamous murderer has been attacked by fellow inmates in jail at least three times before over the years and has previously ended up in hospital. He has also attempted suicide three times in prison.
In 2003, while awaiting trial, he attempted suicide via drug overdose at Woodhill Prison, near Milton Keynes, with a report later finding 'serious systems failures'.
He also took overdoses in 2006 and 2007, and was taken to hospital on both occasions to have his stomach pumped.
In 2005, an inmate at Wakefield Prison threw boiling water over him and he was treated for scalding injuries.
In 2010, he was taken to hospital after a fellow prisoner slashed his neck.
A spokesman for Durham Constabulary previously told LADbible of the latest prison attack: “Police were alerted to an assault which had taken place within HMP Frankland in Durham this morning.
“A male prisoner suffered serious injuries during the incident and was transported to hospital.
“A police investigation is now underway into the circumstances of the incident and detectives are liaising with staff at the prison.”
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."
Olivia Burke