Sunday History Time

1/7 It's a pretty imposing building, HMP Leicester, isn't it? Still often confused for Leicester Castle by people new to the city!

It was actually designed to look like a castle, with building work starting in 1825 before being opened in 1828.

2/7 The walls of the prison were said to be the highest prison walls in the country, which might be why there's only ever been 1 escape.

In December 1953 Albert Hattersley managed to get through a skylight in the workshop.

3/7 He'd broken a pipe from the workshop toilet to use with webbing to help scale the wall. Despite trying to drop from the wall near the Governer's garden, in the hope of landing on soft ground, he suffered a broken ankle. After hours on the run he was re-captured the next day.

4/7 Over the years there have been 23 executions which took place at the prison, with the last being in 1953. From a triple execution in 1829 for "horse stealing" to a double hanging in 1944 following a murder on Springfield Road in the city.

5/7 The only female to be executed at the prison was Sarah Smith in 1832, a 28 year old woman from Mountsorrel, who had killed a woman in her care by adding arsenic to her tea.

6/7 Famous inmates? Well Ricky Tomlinson was here for 18 months following his part in a workers strike in 70s, Reggie Kray spent 2 years here in 1972 between spells at Parkhurt, and Charles Bronson spent 10 days at here in between his period of isolation at nearby Gartree Prison.

7/7 Of course Mark Morrison had a stint here too. In fact he said that he wrote Return of the Mack from Welford Road Prison. I wonder if the McDonalds marketing team know that.

B&W photos - Leicester & Leics Records Office