A Bradford MP says he is receiving a growing number of complaints from constituents about alleged bullying in prisons.

Marsha Singh has more than a dozen prison cases on his books and is concerned about the rise in complaints specifically about harassment.

He said: "If people are sent to prison they have the right to serve out their sentence free of bullying."

One of the complaints currently being dealt with by the Labour MP is that of

21-year-old Raees Yousaf Khan.

Khan, of Weetwood Road, Girlington, Bradford, is serving a term in Moorland Prison, Doncaster.

He was sentenced to 27 months' imprisonment on August 10 at Leeds Crown Court for offences including dangerous driving, assault on a police officer and theft.

His family decided to write to their MP, Mr Singh, in October after Khan claimed he had been the victim of bullying and racial discrimination.

His sister Rozina Yousaf said: "You hear about people who have been bullied in prison and end up committing suicide.

"He has been beaten up and verbally abused.

"He has asked for a transfer but the authorities don't seem to be taking much notice. We need to get to the bottom of this."

Mr Singh, MP for Bradford West, contacted Moorland in October, asking the authorities there to consider transferring Khan to Wetherby Prison.

He has also written to the Prison Ombudsman.

Mr Singh said: "The Governor has addressed some of the complaints we have made by moving him to an adult wing.

"We have it on record that if he is not happy on that wing he can apply for a transfer.

"We are currently dealing with more than a dozen prison cases.

"Many of those include complaints of bullying and it is something I am concerned about."

A spokesman for Moorland Prison explained that there was an active race relations officer on site.

Prisoners were able to contact this officer at any time, he said.

Moorlands also had a designated violence reduction officer, he said, adding that the prison's anti-bullying policy had achieved "superior status" in a recent audit by the Prison Service.

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