Wandsworth prison: Murder investigation launched after man found dead in cell

A prisoner in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of murder

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a prisoner was found dead in a London jail cell (Getty Images)

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a prisoner was found dead in a London jail cell.

Scotland Yard confirmed officers were called to Wandsworth Prison in south London at 7.35am on 4 April to reports a male prisoner had been found dead in a cell.

He was pronounced dead at hospital at 8.52am, while a man in his 40s, also a prisoner, was arrested on suspicion of murder.

The man has not been formally identified but is believed to be in his 60s. His next of kin have been informed.

A post-mortem examination is to take place in due course, a Yard spokesman said.

A Prison Service spokeswoman told the Evening Standard: "An HMP Wandsworth prisoner was pronounced dead in hospital at 8:52 am on Monday 4 May.

"A police investigation is ongoing, so it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”

Wandsworth, a category B prison, is the largest in the UK and one of the biggest in western Europe, and can hold more than 1,800 prisoners.