Heads should roll at Armley Prison after bosses failed to learn lessons from the deaths of vulnerable inmates, a Bradford MP claimed today.

Bradford North MP Terry Rooney blasted the prison authorities for failing to learn lessons after the deaths of three Bradford men.

They are among four cases highlighted in a powerful new report which is being sent by the families' solicitor to chiefs at the Home Office, Prison Service and Prisons Inspectorate.

Altogether, 12 inmates at Armley have taken their own life in the past three years - second only to Strangeways at Manchester with thirteen.

Similar prisons have lower figures including Liverpool (one death); Brixton (five) and Birmingham (five).

"It's nothing less than butchery," Mr Rooney claimed. "Heads should roll for this. People should be held to account in my opinion and someone should go.

"If there were four deaths in a care home we'd have had a public inquiry by now. Even prisoners have rights. They have the right to expect to be treated as human beings.

"Management at Armley does not seem to be learning lessons and frankly after so much going on heads should roll."

He said he hoped to meet prisons minister Paul Boateng to discuss the report.

"I have already spoken to the health minister John Hutton and he is at his wits end about the prison medical service, which is not part of the NHS at the moment but should be brought under the same umbrella."

Ruth Bundey, the solicitor acting for the families, said: "We believe a pattern has emerged which demonstrates in particular failings on the part of Prison Healthcare in terms of lack of diagnosis of vulnerability to self-harm, and a lack of communication to the prison wing of such concerns that do exist."

Maureen Victor, whose son Anthony Forrest is one of the young men whose cases are highlighted in the report, welcomed it today.

"I have read the report and I think it is very good - although it is very sad, especially the case of Jason Clegg," she said.

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