No toilets in 6,900 prison cells in England and Wales, minister reveals

Prisoners in 1,485 cells in 21 prisons have to request access to facilities by ringing a bell and some use buckets

Almost 7,000 prison cells in 50 jails in England and Wales do not have toilets, with many prisoners given buckets in case they cannotbe unlocked in time.

At HMP Isle of Wight, almost half of the 1,000-plus prisoners do not have in-cell sanitation and inspectors have derided the “disrespectful” practice of giving out plastic buckets to inmates, who had no means of washing their hands afterwards.