Prisons in south London are in “crisis” as latest figures show assaults on staff have increased up to 600 per cent in the past three years.

Almost every single south London prison has seen a dramatic increase in the number of assaults against members of staff in the past few years, latest figures from the Ministry of Justice shows.

Assaults on staff increased sextupled in the space of three years at HMP Wandsworth, jumping from 20 in 2012 to 120 in 2016.

For Greenwich prisons, HMP Belmarsh and HMP Thameside saw the number of assaults against staff triple in three years.

HMP High Down in Epsom saw assaults on its staff almost double in three years, while HMP Brixton already eclipsed 2013’s assault on staff number for 2017 by March.

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Only HMP Isis, the young offender’s institution in Greenwich, had little change in the number of assaults on staff in the past few years.

President of the Prison Governors Association Andrea Albutt described the current situation as a “crisis” and talked about the “unacceptable stress and anxiety” prison staff face on a daily basis.

She said: “The recent increase in concerted indiscipline is of grave concern. The rise in our population, unforeseen by the statisticians in MOJ, has left us with virtually no headroom in prison spaces.

“We know many prisons are in crisis and I deliberately use that term, because it can't be dressed up in any other way.

“The issue of Recruitment remains critical. In the year 16/17 there was a net increase of only 75 prison officers.

“This year it is ramping up, but with that comes further issues as members tell me that they have concerns about their new recruits.

“MOJ and HMPPS need to do something to stop this very expensive recruitment campaign turning into a complete damp squib.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “We know that our prisons have faced a number of long-standing challenges, which is why we have taken immediate action to boost prison officer numbers and have created Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service.

“This will help to create a distinct, professionalised frontline service and will ensure that policy and operations are working closely together to deliver these much needed reforms.

“We need to create calm and ordered environments to help ensure effective rehabilitation, and we continue to work closely with the unions and all staff to help achieve these vital reforms and make prisons places of safety and reform.”