Huntley in suicide bid

The man accused of killing Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman is in a critical condition in hospital today after taking an overdose.

Ian Huntley apparently took the overdose in the early hours of this morning while being held on remand at high-security HMP Woodhill in Buckinghamshire.

A Prison Service spokesman said: "A prisoner from HMP Woodhill has been admitted to hospital following a serious incident of self-harm."

Sky News said his condition was reported to be life-threatening. The prisoner was taken from the jail near Milton Keynes and was being treated in an outside hospital, officials said.

Sources close to the Soham inquiry confirmed today the man who had been taken to hospital is Huntley. "The difficulty is nobody is prepared to give any confirmatory statement on the record, but the fact that Cambridgeshire police have a statement about a 29-year-old man tells you all you need to know," he said.

If Huntley succeeds in committing suicide it will come as a major blow to the Prison Service's ability to prevent highprofile prisoners taking their own lives.

The disappearance of Holly and Jessica on August 4 last year sparked a massive police hunt that only came to an end when their bodies were found in a shallow grave near RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk on 17 August. A Prison Service source said today: "We can confirm Ian Huntley was taken to hospital at 4am this morning following an incident of serious self-harm.

"As is normal practice, a thorough investigation has begun into the circumstances surrounding this incident. Ministers are being kept fully-informed."

Sources confirmed that Huntley appeared to have taken the overdose in his cell despite the fact he was a so-called "2052" prisoner - on 24-hour suicide watch, which should mean that prison officers look into his cell every 15 minutes.

Huntley faces three charges in a trial that is due to start at the Old Bailey on 6 October. These are:

Huntley has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the perverting of the course of justice.

Former teaching assistant Carr will stand trial with Huntley at the same time. She faces two charges of assisting an offender, namely knowing or believing that Huntley had committed an offence she provided false accounts of his whereabouts with intent to prevent his arrest. She has pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Huntley and Carr appeared in the dock together at the Old Bailey in April when they were formally asked to enter pleas.