Convicted murderer Lucy Letby is set to spend the rest of her life in a high-security County Durham prison - here's what life could look like for her behind bars.

HMP Low Newton in County Durham could soon be home for the 33-year-old former nurse Lucy Letby after she was sentenced for murdering several neonatal unit babies in 2015 and 2016.

The killer was handed a whole-life order from judges at Manchester Crown Court for the murders of seven babies and the attempted murder of a further six at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Read more: Lucy Letby: Killer nurse sentenced to life in prison

The Northern Echo: Lucy Letby.Lucy Letby. (Image: PA)

Now, Letby is set to be moved to HMP Low Newton in Brasside, an all-female women and young offenders prison.

Here's a glimpse inside the prison and a brief history of the institution, as it prepares to welcome the "dangerous individual".

What is HMP Low Newton?

HMP Low Newton was built in 1965, set to become a mixed remand centre that would house 65 males and 11 females until it was expanded in 1975 and the capacity was increased to 215.

This mixed-gender approach was in place until September 1998, when the category A centre began to only take female prisoners from across the North East and the rest of the UK.

Adjacent to Low Newton is HMP Frankland, another category A facility that holds male prisoners.

The catchment area means Low Newton holds convicts from the Scottish Borders, Cumbria and North Yorkshire, catering to a small number of juveniles and life-sentenced prisoners.

The current population of the prison is around 340.

Inside, there are said to be a number of single and three-person cells, and prisoners have the opportunity to decorate their space. They can also head to a fashion boutique and purchase clothes as well as toiletries and shoes.

The Northern Echo: Inside HMP Low Newton.Inside HMP Low Newton. (Image: HMI PRISONS)

Who is imprisoned in Low Newton?

Low Newton has been home to several notorious criminals in its history.

One current inmate is Joanna Dennehy, who was jailed for the Peterborough ditch murders in 2013 after she stabbed three men and buried their bodies in a ditch.

Her crimes led her to become the third women in British history to be handed a whole life sentence.

Low Newton was also previously home to Sharon Carr, said to be one of Britain’s youngest murderers.

Carr was put behind bars in the 90s after she stabbed 19-year-old Katie Rackliff in 1992, who was a stranger to her at the time.  She was housed in Low Newton between 2018 and 2019.

Prolific serial killer Rose West partook in the torture and murder of at least nine young women with her husband Fred, and called Low Newton home for 23 years from 1995 before she was moved to HMP New Hall in 2019.

The Northern Echo: Inside HMP Low Newton.Inside HMP Low Newton. (Image: HMI PRISONS)


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West imprisoned, sexually abused and killed young girls over two decades and even went as far as burying their victim's remains under their home.

Tracey Connelly, who was jailed for causing or allowing the death of her 17-month-old son in 2007 was behind bars in Low Newton until her release last year.

Her child, known as Baby P, was known across the world after the case garnered media attention.