Inmates harmed themselves hundreds of times while behind bars at Erlestoke Prison in a year, figures reveal.

Prisoners self-harmed at least 341 times in the 12 months to September 2020, which is an increase from 289 times the year before, figures from the Ministry of Justice show.

At least 23 of these incidents were serious enough to warrant a hospital visit

Cutting, drug overdoses and attempted hanging are among cases that must be logged as self-harm by staff at the facility, which housed around 489 people that September.

Incidents across England and Wales have declined since a record high was reported in the year to September 2019, but latest figures from the MoJ show a quarterly increase at Erlestoke which recorded 135 cases between July and September, compared to 78 the three months before.

The MoJ says that the most recent figures reflect an exceptional time, given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the prison population.

Experts believe prison lockdowns and enforced solitude could be contributing to mental distress behind bars.

In an effort to contain coronavirus, facilities have introduced more restrictive regimes, with visits limited or suspended and movement of prisoners restricted.

Across England and Wales, the rate of incidents now stands at 595 per 1,000 male prisoners and 3,557 per 1,000 female.

At Erlestoke Prison there were an estimated 697 incidents per 1,000 inmates.