Prisoner found hanging in cell

Benjamin Townsend was found hanging in his cell

A prisoner has died after being found hanging in his cell, the Prison Service said.

Benjamin Townsend, 19, was found by staff at Norwich prison on Tuesday afternoon.

He was taken to the Norfolk and Norwich hospital where he was put on a life support machine, a spokeswoman said.

"Mr Townsend was taken off the life support machine on Saturday afternoon but sadly died at 1500 BST," she said.

"He was serving four months for drink driving and theft, and was in a shared cell on suicide watch.

Previous death

"There will be an internal investigation into the death, as there are with all deaths in custody."

It is the third death at the prison this year. There was one at the jail last year.

In April, Andrew Barclay, 20, from Essex, was found hanging from the bars of his cell in the remand centre of Norwich Prison.

Coroner William Armstrong said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.

Barclay, who was convicted in February of indecent assault, had served two months of a 12-month sentence.