Ministers demand answers after Hashem Abedi launches ‘vicious’ attack on staff inside high-security HMP Frankland
The government has launched an urgent review after Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi attacked three prison officers using hot cooking oil and improvised weapons inside the high-security HMP Frankland.
Abedi, serving a record 55-year minimum sentence for his part in the 2017 Manchester Arena terror attack, reportedly threw scalding oil over officers before stabbing them with “home-made weapons” in what the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) described as an “unprovoked” and “vicious” assault.
The incident occurred on Saturday within Frankland’s separation centre, a special unit designed to isolate radicalised or high-risk inmates. According to POA national chairman Mark Fairhurst, the attack left three officers with life-threatening injuries, including severe burns, scalds, and stab wounds. Two male officers remain in hospital in a serious but stable condition, while a female officer has since been discharged.
A Ministry of Justice (MoJ) spokesperson confirmed on Sunday:
“There will be a full review into how this attack was able to happen, alongside the separate police inquiry being carried out by Counter Terrorism Policing North East.”
Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) said investigations remain ongoing and that it is “keeping an open mind” regarding Abedi’s motivation. Durham Constabulary is also assisting with the probe.
The attack has raised urgent concerns over prison security protocols, particularly in separation centres where inmates—some of whom are considered among Britain’s most dangerous—are permitted limited access to cooking facilities.
Mr Fairhurst said the attack was a result of serious lapses in safety precautions and repeated his call for frontline prison staff to be issued with stab-proof vests. Speaking to the BBC, he said:
“To allow that type of prisoner to access a kitchen and use utensils that can so easily be fashioned into weapons is dangerous and reckless. That access must be removed immediately.”
He added that the POA has long warned of the potential for copycat attacks, and called for urgent action:
“We’ve asked for stab-proof vests for years. We’re dealing with murderers, terrorists, armed robbers, and the system is more concerned about uniforms looking ‘too militaristic’ than about officer safety.”
Abedi was convicted in 2020 for helping his older brother, Salman Abedi, plan the suicide bombing that killed 22 people—many of them children—at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester. Because he was under 21 at the time, Abedi narrowly avoided a whole-life tariff.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood responded to the attack with a strongly-worded statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter):
“I am appalled by the attack on three brave officers at HMP Frankland today. My thoughts are with them and their families.
The police are now investigating. I will be pushing for the strongest possible punishment. Violence against our staff will never be tolerated.”
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Frankland Prison, a Category A facility, has previously housed some of the UK’s most notorious inmates, including terrorist Michael Adebolajo and serial killer Peter Sutcliffe. The separation centre was introduced in 2017 to manage prisoners with extremist views and reduce the risk of radicalisation within the general population.
A 2022 inspection report noted that only nine men were housed across Frankland and HMP Woodhill’s separation units. Though the centres are designed to manage prisoners with any political or religious ideology, by 2022, they were reportedly only used for Muslim men.
The review will now examine how a high-risk inmate like Abedi was able to access materials capable of inflicting such harm, despite being housed in a supposedly tightly controlled environment. It will also look into staffing levels, intelligence processes, and the broader management of radicalised prisoners.
As investigations continue, CTP stressed that they are pursuing “extensive enquiries” to determine the full circumstances and motivation for the attack. In the meantime, the POA has requested an urgent meeting with the Justice Secretary, demanding immediate reforms to protect staff from further violence within the prison estate.
