Jeffrey Epstein has been found unconscious in his Manhattan jail cell after a possible suicide attempt, according to US media reports.

The Brooklyn-born financier, 66, was taken to hospital in New York, after he was found by guards sprawled on the floor of cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center with injuries to his neck, media reported.

His condition remains unclear, and it was not known how he suffered his injuries.

Authorities at the prison are also investigating whether he may have been a victim of assault.

A lawyer for inmate Nicholas Tartaglione denied reports on Thursday that his client was a suspect in a possible assault on Epstein. Tartaglione is a former suburban New York police officer awaiting trial on charges he was involved in the kidnapping and killing of four men in 2016.

Epstein last week was denied bail on charges of sex trafficking involving dozens of underage girls. On Tuesday his lawyers appealed against the decision, arguing once more that he should be allowed to await his trial at his $77 million (£62m) New York mansion.

Prosecutors had argued successfully that Epstein posed a significant flight risk, given his $500 million fortune, private jet, and homes around the world. They also brought forward some of the 80 girls who have accused him, and convinced Judge Richard Berman that Epstein posed a danger to the community.