A prisoner has spoken out about the conditions he endured at a Yorkshire prison, claiming it was like 'a concentration camp'.
Luke Hudson from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, was locked up in HMP Hull for three months for assaulting a police officer before being released in August.
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During the short stint, the 32-year-old alleges that he was threatened by officers and even had rats 'seven or eight inches long' in his cell.
"When I saw the rats running around during the day climbing up the windows, I thought 'wow that's bad'," he said.
"But then it happened at night. I heard rustling in the rubbish bag. I was on the top bunk, but I was just thinking they can climb.
"I didn't want an incontinent rat or a mouse weeing and pooing all over me while I'm asleep.
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"Surely this shouldn't be happening in the 21st century? The only way I can explain HMP Hull is it's like a concentration camp."
Although he reportedly raised these issues with staff, Hudson claims they were brushed aside.
He added: "All I got out of them was: 'What do you want? A five-star hotel?'."
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When Hudson was transferred to HMP Humber, 18 miles away, he says he was threatened by a member of staff who said they could 'make his life hell'.
"They [the officer] said 'I can make your life hell while you're in here'," he explained.
"For an officer to speak to me in such a derogatory manner without any provocation was totally disgusting from a professional.
"They do it quite frequently. I have seen them bullying some of the other prisoners. They do it on purpose to wind people up and get a reaction.
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"I have worked in trusted roles myself. I've worked for the NHS. I wouldn't dream of speaking to anybody like that, so why should anybody speak to me like that? It's an abuse of power.
"I can honestly say every other staff member I came across and worked with was absolutely fantastic, but obviously this prison officer is in the wrong job.
A spokesperson for the Prison Service said investigations found no evidence of rats and 'no wrongdoing' when it came to staff behaviour: "All complaints by prisoners are taken seriously. These alleged incidents were investigated thoroughly and no wrongdoing was found."
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They also told YorkshireLive that Luke declined the offer to hear the outcome of the HMP Humber investigation after his release.
The spokesperson went on to explain that a pest control contractor visits HMP Hull every two weeks to carry out 'preventative measures' and there has been no evidence of rodents in the Category B prison.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Yorkshire, crime, Prison