HMP Peterborough inmates ‘abused' after 'Spiderman' escape

Security changes to a prison after a child sex offender made a "Spiderman" escape left vulnerable inmates subject to abuse, a report has said.

Gintautas Urbonas scaled a "very high" wall to escape from HMP Peterborough in January.

But a report raised concerns prisoners were taken to activities through locked-down areas as a result.

Sodexo, which runs the prison, said the report recognised its focus to keep prisoners safe and reduce violence.

The Independent Monitoring Board report of the combined male, female and youth prison spanned April 2017 to March 2018.

Urbonas used gardening gloves and a rope made of face towels to escape near the start of his 12-year sentence for offences including the attempted rape of a child and child abduction.

Urbonas was arrested in Peterborough two days after escaping from prison

When he was sentenced to extra jail time for his escape, Cambridge Crown Court heard "prison officers assumed he'd just run ahead" from a group returning from a gym.

Afterwards, security was strengthened and escort rules were re-emphasised.

The report said there was no increase in violence but that vulnerable prisoners were "subject to cat-calls and abuse" as they had to be escorted through locked-down general areas.

Sodexo said there had been no recent issues regarding vulnerable inmates at the prison.

The report also said there was "widespread drug use and availability" at the men's site, and was concerned by the level of violence.

But it praised a prison-run programme, Outside Links, for its "excellent work" helping prisoners on their release.

A Sodexo spokesman said: "We welcome the findings of the IMB annual report, which has found prisoners to be treated fairly with good support extending into the community for their release... Successful rehabilitation relies heavily on these factors.

"Common to the rest of the prison estate, drugs and violence are a challenge at HMP Peterborough, and the report recognises our continued focus on keeping prisoners safe and on efforts to reduce violence."