April Jones' killer Mark Bridger hospitalised after being attacked with makeshift knife by fellow inmate

Mark Bridger was set upon as he walked along a gangway in the prison



He was slashed across the face at HMP Wakefield and needed stitches



The killer of five-year-old April Jones has been scarred for life in an attack by a fellow prisoner.

Mark Bridger was slashed across the face with a razor blade at the maximum security prison where he is serving a whole-life term for the horrific murder.

The 47-year-old was taken to hospital for stitches on Sunday and returned to HMP Wakefield a few hours later.

Bridger abducted April, who had cerebral palsy, while she was playing outside her home in Machynlleth, Mid-Wales, last October.



Mark Bridger, who murdered April Jones, was slashed in the face with a makeshift knife at Wakefield prison



He sexually abused her, killed her and then dismembered and disposed of her body.

The former abattoir worker has refused to reveal what he did with April’s remains and claimed during his trial she died in a car accident.

Police believe he dumped her body parts in the hills, rivers and forests surrounding his remote home in Ceinws. Traces of her blood and skull fragments were found at his rented cottage.

Yesterday Machynlleth villagers applauded the prisoner who attacked April’s killer and appealed to Bridger to reveal what he did with her body to make his own life behind bars easier. Julie Williams, a mother-of-two, said: ‘No one has any sympathy for him.

‘He is so evil for not saying where her body is. Other prisoners may lay off him if he lets the authorities know what he did with April.

‘It’s the least he should do – this attack may frighten him into doing the right thing. But it won’t bring April back to her family.’

Bridger was reportedly slashed in the face as he walked along a gangway at HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire

Bridger, who has six children by four women, was attacked as he walked along a gangway and is badly scarred, according to reports. Friends of April’s family said they had no sympathy.

‘Was he expecting an easy ride in prison? He doesn’t deserve any sympathy after what he did,’ said Alexander Darracott.

Carole Davies said: ‘Hopefully he will live in fear for his life every day. Imagine little April’s fear and terror.’ And councillor Michael Williams said: ‘His crimes were horrendous to say the least and this will come as a wake-up call to him about just how he is seen by the rest of the country.’

Bridger was recently transferred to HMP Wakefield, the largest maximum security jail in the country, which houses a number of child killers including Roy Whiting, Levi Bellfield and Mick Philpott.

Despite tight security – including segregation for paedophiles and child killers – attacks with makeshift blades and other improvised weapons are not uncommon.