A PRISON suffered a plague of rats — with some even crawling over lags at night.
One told inspectors a rodent defecated in his bed as he slept, while others could not sleep for scurrying sounds.
Inmates at 330-capacity HMP Springhill, an open jail in Bucks, were said to be “very distressed”.
The Independent Monitoring Board said the prison faced a “major rat infestation” which grew “increasingly worse” during 2023.
Live rats were “frequently seen” in and around the accommodation huts in the day and “constantly heard at night”, leaving the lags “understandably distressed”.
The report also said rats were getting into kitchens through holes in the walls.
It added: “It was rare for IMB members not to see live rats during weekly monitoring visits.”
It said a design fault meant rats that had died beneath the buildings could not be retrieved, “leaving the stench of rotting carcasses for weeks”.
Live rats were also found near new temporary accommodation blocks for lags.
Rentokil visited the jail — home to around 70 lifers — twice a week to rid it of the pests, putting out more traps with stronger bait.
A prison worker, who has been in the job more than 15 years, said rats were drawn by “food left lying around” and were a menace in most prisons.
He added: “The exercise yards are normally covered in bags of crisps and chocolate wrappers and bits of bread from sandwiches.
“It’s no surprise the rats are getting bigger and breeding more than ever.
“If prisoners want them gone, they need to clean up after themselves or they’ll just get bigger and braver.”
