Prisoner took own life after claiming he was only given 90 minutes out of his cell every day

A STRANGEWAYS prisoner took his own life after telling his loved ones he only got 90 minutes out of his cell a day, anewly-published report has revealed.

- By PAUL BRITTON

Lee Gorst was found hanged in his cell at HMP Manchester on April 25, 2023. He was 35.

A report into his death by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) reveals he called Strangeways ‘a dump’ - and said knives ‘were coming in by drones every night’

Gorst also claimed prison officers often forgot to let him out of his cell for food. A coroner recorded a verdict of suicide after an inquest.

The PPO report said the prison was operating a ‘restricted regime’ at the time due to staffing and Gorst spent ‘extended periods of time in his cell on his own’ as a result. He wrote in a letter found after he died that he was ‘locked in his cell alone for twenty two-and-a-half hours a day, with every minute of his life controlled!

PPO investigators were told prisoners were let out of their cells for approximately two hours a day at the time.

In October 2024, following an inspection, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, issued an urgent notification to the Secretary of State for Justice in relation to a ‘concerning decline’ at the prison.