More serious assaults in Doncaster's Lindholme Prison last year

Across England and Wales, the number of such offences rose by 19 per cent from 2021 to 2022.

The Prison Reform Trust said frustration and violence are the consequences of too many people being held in tight spaces, burnt-out staff, and prisoners being locked up for much of the day.

The Ministry of Justice figures show prisoners at HMP Lindholme committed 30 serious assaults last year – up from 11 in 2021.

Meanwhile in Doncaster prison, prisoners committed 24 serious assaults last year – down from 37 in 2021, and at HMP Hatfield prisoners committed no serious assaults last year – and there were none in 2021, prisoners at HMP Moorland committed eight serious assaults last year – up from either one or two in 2021.

Across England and Wales, 2,417 serious assaults were recorded in 2022, though this remains below the pre-pandemic level of 3,679.

Pia Sinha, chief executive of the Prison Reform Trust, said these latest figures are a "dire sign of the state of some of our prisons".

"With too many people held in spaces they weren’t designed for; staff who are burnt out and leaving in droves; and people locked up for much of the day, frustration and violence are the all too familiar consequences.

"It is only when people in our prisons have purpose and hope, and staff have the space to develop relationships with those in their care, that we can avoid so much unnecessary and damaging conflict."

Andrea Coomber, CEO of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: "Instead of helping people to move on from crime, too often they do the opposite.

"Although the number of assaults recorded is not yet as high as we saw before the pandemic, it appears to be rising fast. With jails now so crowded that people are being held in police cells, clearly the system is becoming less and less safe.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: "Assaults are nearly 30 per cent lower than in 2019 as a result of the hard work of our staff and our £100m investment in prison security which means fewer of the weapons, drugs and phones that fuel violence are getting in in the first place."