Two inmates die at Nottinghamshire prison in major incident

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 4 Nov, 16:20 · Archive

Two men have died at HMP Ranby in Nottinghamshire on Wednesday, with police investigating the circumstances.

Two men have died at HMP Ranby, a Category C training and resettlement prison near Retford in Nottinghamshire, on Wednesday. The Ministry of Justice confirmed the deaths, and Nottinghamshire Police has launched an investigation into the circumstances.

The Independent reports that multiple medical emergencies have been reported at the prison amid fears a bad batch of drugs has entered the facility. Sources described two days of chaos, with reports of up to 14 'code blues'—alarms signalling medical crises such as prisoners found unconscious or experiencing overdose. Four ambulances were deployed on Tuesday, with an air ambulance and three further ambulance units on Wednesday morning, according to sources cited by The Independent. Prisoners have been warned about a batch of contaminated spice, a synthetic form of cannabis, which sources claim may be linked to the incidents.

Nottinghamshire Police said it was working closely with the Prison Service to establish the full circumstances of the deaths. A Prison Service spokesperson confirmed that the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate, as is standard in all deaths in custody. The families of those involved are being supported. The last inspection of HMP Ranby in October warned that the wide availability of drugs was a 'considerable concern'.

How it is being reported

• Police launch inquiry after two inmates die in prisonThe Ministry of Justice (MoJ) confirmed two men died in custody on Wednesday.BBC News · 4 Nov, 16:00
• Prison in lockdown as ‘bad drugs batch’ kills two inmates in major incidentExclusive: Two people have died and multiple medical emergencies have been reported at a men’s prison in Nottinghamshire, sources claimThe Independent · 4 Nov, 15:13

In this story: HMP Ranby · Nottinghamshire · Nottinghamshire Police · Prison Service · Prisons and Probation Ombudsman

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log