Ex Prisoner Sues The Ministry of Justice

A former guest of Her Majesty’s Prison Service is suing the MOJ as a consequence of developing PTSD allegedly due to a rat infestation at Wormwood Scrubs prison. The 71 year old male is claiming to suffer nightmares and depression.

He alleges rodents ran across both his bed, and body, whilst he was locked in his cell serving a short sentence for benefit fraud. The rat infestation led to a further rash and subsequent diagnosis of PTSD.

This case emerged into the public domain courtesy of an inspection by HMP Bedford which saw an inmate catch and kill a rat during an official inspection. Other prisoners have described the prison as being worse than Beirut.

The rodent problem was identified in a 2015 report and HM Inspectorate of Prisons commented, “The prison had a significant rat problem. We saw them every day and night we visited the prison and a large rats’ nest was very obvious in the grounds.” 

Prisoners were routinely locked in their cells for 23 hours per day on weekdays and permanently over the weekends. The 71 year old complainant said rats were also found in the food serving areas and further commented, “You should have heard the sound of so many grown men screaming when a rat jumped out of a sack of potatoes.” 

Despite making complaints to the guards the reply was seemingly, “This isn’t a hotel, you know. You’re here to be punished.’”

A spokesman for the Prison Service said: “It would be inappropriate to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.”

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