大象传媒

A former prison officer says he was offered no support by bosses despite witnessing a murder, suicide and being attacked by inmates five times.

Instead, he said he felt pressured to have no time off despite numerous traumatic events because staffing levels were so low.

The 21-year-old, who joined the prison service after leaving school at 18, working at jails in the West Midlands, said: "After three years I'd seen so much - the extremes of death, both self-inflicted and caused by other people. You don't get time to process it."

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said it inherited a prison service "in crisis" from the previous government and that it would "get a grip" on the system.

The former officer, who wants to remain anonymous, said he was attracted to a career in the prison service due to the self-discipline and integrity the role requires.