Prison guards assaulted at work have received more than £12million in compensation over the last five years.
Yet the 239 claims won by English and Welsh prison staff between 2017 and 2022 reveal just a fraction of the true problem, with almost 1,000 officers hospitalised in 2021 alone.
Mick Pimblett, of the Prison Officers Association union, said: “These figures are no surprise – it’s the most dangerous workplace in Western Europe.
