The watchdog for a high-security prison where self-styled ‘Crossbow Cannibal’ Stephen Griffiths reportedly tried to kill himself has promised to “see what lessons can be learned”.

Griffiths, charged with the murders of three Bradford prostitutes, was found unconscious in his cell at HMP Wakefield with a sock tied round his neck only days after concerns were raised in Court about his mental state.

The 40-year-old did not suffer any serious injuries and was taken to the prison’s care wing, sources told the Telegraph & Argus.

The former public schoolboy appeared at Bradford Crown Court via a video-link on Monday, where his legal team said it was going to consult experts to assess his “mental state” after “issues of concern” were raised.

During the hearing, Griffiths’ barrister Ian Howard said those instructing him, who had been to see his client, were investigating if he might be better held in Rampton Hospital, or a similar institution, pending trial.

Last night, Richard Baldwin, vice-chairman of the Independent Monitor-ing Board for Wakefield, said recommendations from reports into the jail’s suitability for offenders with mental health issues had been acted upon.

He said: “A lot of work has been done with issues around self-harm and vulnerable prisoners. With the incidents of self-harm that do occur, individuals are dealt with sensitively and positively.

“The prison looks to individual cases to see what lessons can be learnt.

“Our role is to monitor what happens. Our chairman, Pauline Cryer, has been in prison this morning to make sure what’s happened is followed up.”

Mr Baldwin added HMP Wakefield was a “difficult place to work”, containing about 700 prisoners.

A Prison Service spokesman said: “An effective level of healthcare delivery continues to be at the core of the establishment’s priorities and improvements continue to be made.”

Last April, a report of the IMB said: “HMP Wakefield is clearly not an appropriate place for offenders with mental health issues despite efforts by staff to provide appropriate standards of care. We raise this as a matter of urgency.”

An earlier report by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons in 2008 said levels of self-harm were relatively low, but that the self-harm and suicide prevention strategy did not sufficiently address specific needs and risks of prisoners at Wakefield.

Lord Patel of Bradford chairs a Government task force looking at the effectiveness of drug treatment for prisoners.

He said: “At least ten per cent of the 84,000 to 85,000 prisoners in the country have serious mental health disorders. They should be in psychiatric wards.

“The problem is psychiatric wards are full, so hundreds of people are waiting in prison to go to one.

“It’s a long-term issue and part of it revolves around the public accepting mental health is not a rare issue and realising psychiatric wards are not easy options.

“If you are indefinitely at Broadmoor, you would rather be in prison because you have an ‘end date’ whereas you never have an end date in one of those places.”