Murder arrests over Wormwood Scrubs prison stabbing

Four men have been arrested on suspicion of murdering an inmate who was stabbed to death at Wormwood Scrubs prison.

Police said Khader Saleh was found with stab wounds at the west London jail at about 15:19 GMT on Wednesday.

Mr Saleh's family said they thought the 25-year-old, who had a son, would have been safe in the prison.

Two men aged 21, a 20-year-old and a 23-year-old man, who are all prisoners at the jail, remain in police custody.

Said Yusuf, Khader's older brother, said the family had been left "devastated" by the attack.

"He was a young man trying to move on in his life. He recently got married and had a one-year-old son," he said.

He said police had told them his brother, who was on remand and awaiting trial, had been stabbed seven times with a metal blade.

"We thought he was in a safe place in prison."

Built during the Victorian era, Wormwood Scrubs is a Category B prison with a capacity of 1,279 inmates.

Records from December last year show 1,131 prisoners were being held at the jail, based in East Acton.

An inspection report published in the same month found the jail had chronic staff shortages, food supply issues and a surge in violence.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons warned that Wormwood Scrubs was "still not safe enough".

A spokesperson for the the Ministry of Justice said "decisive action to reduce violence" had been taken since the inspection and a "full review of safety and security" had been conducted.

"The prison has now introduced body-worn cameras, additional CCTV and patrol dogs, and will be recruiting 120 extra officers to further improve safety," they said.