Inside Britain's most violent jail - where gang members hunt down rivals, prey on weaker inmates and plot attacks on prison guards

By RORY TINGLE, HOME AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT and TRACEY KANDOHLA, REPORTER Published: 00:02, 31 July 2026 | Updated: 00:22, 31 July 2026 A prison officer lies motionless on the floor as an inmate repeatedly kicks him in the head. When a colleague rushes forward to help, the prisoner grabs a chair and hurls it at him before reinforcements arrive and wrestle him to the ground. The shocking CCTV footage lays bare the brutal reality inside HMP Brinsford in Staffordshire, which was this week named the most violent prison in England and Wales by Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor. Behind a double layer of tall wire fences are more than 500 men, most under 25 and either serving sentences for violent crimes or on remand for serious offences including murder, robbery and rape. A young, aggressive population riven by gang rivalries creates a tinderbox atmosphere, with more than ten assaults every week and staff struggling to maintain order.  On the crumbling, filthy wings, gang members hunt down rivals, prey on weaker inmates and plot attacks on prison guards, who fight back with pepper spray and batons. The attack caught on CCTV involved 19-year-old Cam'ron Dunn, who went on the rampage after an argument over dirty laundry. At the time, Dunn was on remand after fatally stabbing a 17-year-old student in the chest with a machete. In 2022, he was eventually sentenced to nearly 25 years in prison for murder and assaulting a prison officer. Speaking to the Daily Mail, relatives of current inmates said an influx of drugs into the prison had made conditions even more volatile since then.  An inmate confronts a prison officer with a chair, having just knocked his colleague (top left) to the floor  HMP Brinsford in Staffordshire was this week named as the most violent jail in England and Wales by the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor Current Inmates include Omar Majed, who is accused of a bomb hoax at a Peter Kay show in Birmingham on May 1 that led to the comedian being rushed off stage Karen, whose son is serving a sentence at HMP Brinsford, described the prison as hellish. 'Fights break out day in and day out,' she said.  'People are high on drugs that have been smuggled in, but instead of trying to stop the illegal activity, the officers turn a blind eye to it.' The 53-year-old told how her son, who is serving a six-year sentence, self-harmed after being viciously bullied last year. 'He spent a few days under observation in the medical wing, which he said was the only place he felt safe apart from being locked alone in a cell,' she said. Brinsford has been notorious for more than a decade, with former chief inspector of prisons Nick Hardwick describing it in 2013 as the worst jail he had ever inspected. Another inspection in 2021 found inmates playing loud music, swearing and vaping in communal areas without being challenged by staff. When they returned to their cells, the men spent much of the day 'wiling away their time sleeping or watching daytime television,' the inspector added. Current Brinsford inmates include Omar Majed, who is accused of making a bomb hoax threat at a Peter Kay show in Birmingham on May 1 that led to the comedian being rushed off stage. The 19-year-old appeared in court via video link last month, but the hearing had to be cut short when he began pulling down his prison-issue tracksuit bottoms. Brinsford has been failing for more than a decade, with a former Chief Inspector of Prisons, Nick Hardwick, describing it in 2013 as the worst jail he had ever inspected Brinsford inmate John Smith, who was killed in a one-punch attack inside the jail  In his latest inspection, Charlie Taylor said Brinsford's large population of 18 to 20-year-olds was 'largely responsible for the very high levels of violence'.  He found men locked in their cells for 22 hours a day instead of being made to work or attend training.  Mr Taylor said the number of violent incidents at the jail had increased by 10 per cent and attacks on staff had doubled. Almost half of the population had 'non-associations', meaning they had to be kept apart from one or more other prisoners because of conflict. In 2020, 26-year-old Brinsford inmate John Smith was killed in a one-punch attack by another inmate, Abdi Rehman Esa, 21. Esa struck his victim once on the side of the head. Smith then hit his head against a door frame and the ground, suffering severe brain injuries. The gang member, who had been jailed after stabbing a classmate at college, admitted manslaughter. He was initially handed an additional term of just 27 months, before this was increased to six years after the Attorney General challenged the sentence as 'unduly lenient'. A 24-year-old teaching assistant who was visiting her 23-year-old boyfriend in Brinsford accused wardens of letting inmates 'get away with anything'. 'At times it's just banter between the inmates, but when the drugs kick in, they can get very nasty,' she said. 'It sounds as if the guards don't give a damn and let people get away with anything.' The attack caught on CCTV involved 19-year-old Cam'ron Dunn, who went on the rampage after a minor row over laundry One of the prison's 'first night' cells  Another mother visiting her 25-year-old son shared similar concerns. 'It's a terrible institution. It's unruly, it's lost its way,' she said. 'Many of the prisoners don't care how they behave and nor do the wardens.' A Prison Service spokesman said: 'This government inherited prisons in crisis, which is why we are taking action to fix the broken system. 'The prison has acted to address the concerns raised by the report, including by introducing dedicated staff to tackle violence and supervise the use of force. 'More broadly, this Government has invested more than £40 million in physical security measures across the prison estate to keep out illicit items that fuel violence and disorder.''