HOME Secretary Jack Straw is to be asked to consider a wide-ranging inquiry into a series of hanging deaths involving men from East Lancashire at Preston Prison.

Burnley MP Peter Pike is deeply concerned at the deaths of four men in the last year, including two from his own constituency.

He is to raise the matter with Mr Straw, who himself was MP for one of the men, and is to contact the jail authorities.

And the call has been backed by Pendle MP Gordon Prentice, one of whose constituents also hanged himself at the jail.

Preston Prison has already launched an internal probe into the latest suspected suicide - of 25-year-old Andrew Pounder from Oxford Road, Burnley, who had been remanded in custody by the town's magistrates on a charge of burglary before he was found hanged at 1.30am on Saturday.

Mr Pike fears that this investigation may not be comprehensive enough in view of the three previous deaths.

Jason McVeagh, aged 27, of Cog Lane, Burnley, was found hanged in March, six days after being remanded to the prison for burglary by Burnley magistrates; Steven Nuttall, aged 22, from Brierfield, was found hanged last July after being remanded in custody by Burnley magistrates; and Alan Ratcliffe, aged 53, from Blackburn was on remand for attempted murder when he was found dead in September. An inquest later recorded a verdict of suicide. Mr Pike said: "I shall raise this matter with Jack Straw and ask him to consider if we need a wider inquiry than the prison's own investigation in view of the number of suicides.

"I have previously raised the issues of whether too many people are remanded in custody and prison suicides with the Home Office.

"I am very concerned at these deaths - especially as two involve my constituents and a third was also remanded to the prison by Burnley Magistrates.

"This is a very disturbing trend and I shall certainly ask Mr Straw to investigate and see whether it would be appropriate to hold a wider inquiry.

"I shall also be contacting the prison authorities and the families of my constituents who died."

Mr Pike will seek full details on the remit and progress of the internal prison service inquiry into Mr Pounder's death.

Pendle MP Gordon Prentice, who includes Brierfield in his constituency, said: "I am extremely concerned . I will be raising this matter with the Home Secretary.

"The issue is whether these are isolated incidents or whether something more serious is going on."

Mr Straw said: "I shall pay serious attention to the two MPs' concerns to keep a close eye on the situation.

"The prison service takes all suicides and the risk of suicides very seriously. All suicides are thoroughly investigated.

"The prison service is always looking for ways to improve its prevention work."

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