Murderer Ian Huntley left 'blind and on life support'

The 52-year-old is said to have suffered devastating injuries after being beaten with a spiked metal pole at HMP Frankland in County Durham last week.

According to The Sun, Huntley was struck in the eyes during the assault and has been declared blind. The newspaper also reported he is on life support and is “highly unlikely” to survive.

Durham Police confirmed earlier this week that the inmate remained in a serious condition following the attack.

Soham murderer Ian Huntley

A spokesperson for the force said: "There has been no change in the 52-year-old man’s condition overnight – he remains in hospital in a serious condition."

Murderer and rapist Anthony Russell, 43, reportedly shouted “I’ve done it, I’ve done it” after Huntley was attacked in the recycling area of the prison.

Police previously confirmed a fellow prisoner in his 40s had been identified as a suspect and remained in the prison.

The attack happened in a workshop area of the maximum security jail last Thursday, February 26. Specialist forensic teams spent the day examining the scene as an investigation got under way.

Huntley murdered schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham in 2002 (Image: ARCHIVE)

Huntley is serving a minimum term of 40 years for the murders of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, Cambridgeshire, in August 2002.

The former caretaker lured the girls to his home before killing them and dumping their bodies in a ditch. Their bodies were discovered more than a week later, 12 miles from their home town.

He has been held for a number of years at HMP Frankland alongside some of the UK’s most dangerous offenders.

A Prison Service spokesperson said previously: “A prisoner is receiving treatment after an incident at HMP Frankland on Thursday morning.

“It would be inappropriate to comment further while police investigate."

The Frankland attack was the latest attempt on Huntley’s life and he was thought to have been kept under close observation to prevent such attacks.

In 2010, robber Damien Fowkes slashed Huntley with a home-made weapon, causing a “severe, gaping cut to the left side of his neck” with a 7in (18cm) wound which required 21 stitches.

Fowkes asked a prison officer: “Is he dead? I hope so.”

He described Huntley as a “notorious child killer, both inside prison and in society in general”.