A VICTORIAN prison holding almost double its capacity of prisoners is suffering rising violence, prison inspectors found today.

HMP Bedford has a capacity for 500 prisoners but holds 900.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons said it has twice issued statutory “urgent notifications” to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to intervene at the prison.

But a recent inspection found the violence was increasing.

Inspectors reported improvements including “a proactive safety team working hard to understand and tackle the root causes of violence.”

But they added: “Despite this, violence between the men had continued to rise in the six months before our visit, and the overall rates remained among the highest of all adult male prisons.

“Illicit drugs, limited time out of cell, frustrations about not being able to get things done, and a lack of challenge from staff about poor behaviour were all contributing to a continued lack of safety.”

The MoJ was contacted for comment.