Richard Huckle, one of Britain's worst paedophiles, has been killed in his prison cell in the north of England, sources have confirmed.

The 33-year-old, who was serving 22 life sentences, at Full Sutton Prison in East Yorkshire, was found dead in his cell at the weekend.

Huckle, from Ashford in Kent, was jailed in 2016, after being arrested on his return to the UK from Malaysia, where he had been living and abusing children.

He pleaded guilty to 71 offences involving 22 children, but it is thought there were many more victims across South East Asia.

Huckle was found by prison staff in his cell having been stabbed repeatedly with a makeshift blade.

A Prison Service spokesman said: “HMP Full Sutton prisoner Richard Huckle died on 13 October. It would be inappropriate to comment further while a police investigation is ongoing.”