LAST UPDATE | 26 Feb

A PRISONER IN his mid-40s has been identified as a suspect in the attack on double murderer Ian Huntley at a maximum security jail in England, police have said.

Durham Constabulary said a prisoner, understood to be Huntley, was assaulted in the workshop of HMP Frankland near Durham this morning before being taken to hospital.

He was treated for head injuries and remains in a serious condition in hospital, the force said this afternoon.

A spokesman for Durham Constabulary said: “The 52-year-old prisoner who was injured during this morning’s assault in the workshop at HMP Frankland remains in a serious condition in hospital following treatment for head injuries.

“Police forensic teams have examined the scene of the attack throughout the day to gather evidence.

“A suspect, a male prisoner in his mid-40s, has been identified by officers investigating the incident.

“He has not been arrested at this stage but remains in detention within the prison.”

The Sun, which first reported the attack, said Huntley was knocked unconscious with a metal pole and quoted a source saying his condition was “touch and go”.

The Press Association understand Huntley was left in a pool of blood after the incident.

The former caretaker killed 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman after they left a family barbecue to buy sweets in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on 4 August 2002, then dumped their bodies in a ditch.

Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. PA PA

He is serving a life sentence, with a recommendation that he must serve at least 40 years for the murders.

This attack was the latest attempt on Huntley’s life. It is thought he was being kept under close observation to prevent similar attacks.

In 2010, robber Damien Fowkes slashed Huntley with a home-made weapon in 2010, causing a “severe gaping cut to the left side of his neck”.

The wound was 7 inches (18cm) long and required 21 stitches.

Fowkes asked a prison officer: “Is he dead? I hope so.”

He described Huntley as a “notorious child killer, both inside prison and in society in general”.