Police investigate ‘blackmail plot’ at Wiltshire prison after a top official sent a naked selfie to colleagues

• Police probe an alleged plot by prison staff to blackmail a senior jail official
• The episode has forced the official to leave his job at HMP Erlestoke, Wiltshire 
• HMP Erlestoke is a Category C jail for 500 male inmates 

Police are investigating an alleged plot by prison staff to blackmail a senior official at a jail who accidentally sent a naked selfie to colleagues.

The episode has forced the official to leave his job at HMP Erlestoke, Wiltshire, where governor Tim Knight called in police after anonymous letters were sent threatening the married man with public exposure.

Mr Knight has sent a blistering email to staff berating them for driving out the senior official who had mistakenly sent the lewd image on a work WhatsApp group.

The Ministry of Justice investigated the mishap and cleared the man – whom The Mail on Sunday has chosen not to name – but he quit his role a fortnight ago after being relentlessly ridiculed.

The episode has forced the official to leave his job at HMP Erlestoke, Wiltshire, where governor Tim Knight called in police after anonymous letters were sent threatening the married man with public exposure

Anonymous letters were sent to Mr Knight and the official in August threatening to leak the image unless another prison officer was cleared over an allegation of assault against an inmate.

A source said: ‘The staff felt he shouldn’t have remained in post after sending the picture, while he [the official] realised his job was untenable. He was a figure of fun for the prison officers and the prisoners.’

But in his angry email, Mr Knight wrote: ‘A very small number of our colleagues have continued to go out of their way to make [name removed] continued presence at Erlestoke difficult for him and I’m hugely disappointed.

‘Additionally, [name removed] and I have been the recipient of threatening and abusive anonymous letters.

‘I really hope that the perpetrator of such malicious behaviour can be identified and appropriately dealt with by the police and the courts.’

HMP Erlestoke is a Category C jail for 500 male inmates.

A Prison Service spokesman said: ‘A member of staff subjected to suspected malicious communications has transferred to another post voluntarily. It would be inappropriate to comment further.’

Wiltshire Police said: ‘Our investigation is ongoing.’

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