armley prison tour

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

• Crime, justice and law
• Prisons and probation

Leeds Prison

Leeds is an adult male prison in the Armley area of Leeds, West Yorkshire.

Help us to improve this page. Give us your feedback in this 2-minute survey .

Book and plan your visit to Leeds

To visit someone in Leeds you must:

• be on that person’s visitor list
• book your visit at least 24 hours in advance
• have the required ID with you when you go

At least one visitor must be 18 or older at every visit.

There may be a limit to the number of visits a prisoner can have. You can check this with Leeds prison.

Contact Leeds if you have any questions about visiting.

Help with the cost of your visit

If you get certain benefits or have an NHS health certificate, you might be able to get help with the costs of your visit , including:

• travel to Leeds
• somewhere to stay overnight

How to book family and friends visits

You can book visits online at https://www.gov.uk/prison-visits

You can book visits via telephone: 0113 203 2995.

The booking line is open Monday to Friday: 8am to 10am and 12pm to 2pm.

Face to Face bookings available Monday to Friday: 8am to 12pm (Except Thursdays).

Email (enquiries only) [email protected] .

If you are an ex-offender and have been in prison before, you must make a formal request in writing to the Operation Department before you book a visit. Include the name of the prisoner you want to visit, your name, address, date of birth and previous prisoner number (if known). Also mention any license conditions still in effect. You must be a minimum of 6 months custodial sentence free. If approved, you will get a letter from the Operations Department. Bring that letter to each visit as proof you have been cleared.

People who are on Home Detention Curfew (HDC) or on licence must also bring a copy of the licence with their approval letter to the visit.

Visiting times:

A to E wing:

• Monday: 2pm to 3pm, 3:30pm to 4:30pm and 6pm to 7pm
• Tuesday: 2pm to 3pm, 3:30pm to 4:30pm and 6pm to 7pm
• Wednesday: 2pm to 3pm, 3:30pm to 4:30pm and 6pm to 7pm
• Friday: 2pm to 3pm, 3:30pm to 4:30pm
• Saturday: 9am to 10am, 10:30am to 11:30am, 2pm to 3pm and 3:30pm to 4:30pm
• Sunday: 9am to 10am, 10:30am to 11:30am, 2pm to 3pm and 3:30pm to 4:30pm
• Tuesday: 2pm to 3pm
• Wednesday: 3:30pm to 4:30pm
• Saturday: 9am to 10am
• Sunday: 3:30pm to 4:30pm

All visits can only be booked two weeks in advance.

How to book legal and professional visits

Legal visits can be booked by emailing [email protected]

Legal visit times

• Monday to Friday: 8:30am to 4pm

Getting to Leeds

Find Leeds on a map

The closest railway station is Leeds and buses and taxis run from there. It’s a 30-minute walk or about ten minutes in a taxi.

To plan your journey by public transport:

• use National Rail Enquiries
• use Traveline for local bus times

Parking is very limited at the prison but there is plenty in the surrounding residential area.

Entering Leeds

All visitors, aged 16 or older must prove their identity before entering the prison. Read the list of acceptable forms of ID when visiting a prison .

All visitors must prove their identity before entering the prison.  All under 18’s must provide a full Birth Certificate.

You will need to be given a pat-down search, including children. You may also be sniffed by security dogs.

Leeds has a strict dress code policy, which means visitors should wear smart clothes (no vests, no low-cut tops, no shorts, no short dresses, and no headwear, other than that worn for religious reasons). A full list can be found in the Jigsaw centre and the visits search area.

Refreshments are now available throughout your visit. The Children’s play area is open at weekends and during school holidays.

There are strict controls on what you can take into Leeds. You will have to leave most of the things you have with you in a locker or with security. Pushchairs and car seats can enter the prison but will be thoroughly searched.

You will be told the rules by an officer at the start of your visit. If you break the rules, your visit could be cancelled, and you could be banned from visiting again.

Visiting facilities

Jigsaw runs the visitor centre where you wait for your visit to start. It offers support, advice, reassurance, and information.

Refreshments are now available throughout your visit. The children’s play area is open during school holidays and at weekends. A maximum of £30 per person is allowed on your visit in £5, £10, and £20 notes or loose change in a small see through cash bag available from banks.

When your visiting session starts, you will go through to the visiting hall. This has 20 seats for open visits with 3 adjoining booths for closed visits.

Telephone (visitor centre): 0113 203 2771.

Family days

Family visits are now conducted on a Friday morning every other week.

Keep in touch with someone at Leeds

There are several ways you can keep in touch with someone during their time at Leeds.

Secure video calls

To have a secure video call with someone in this prison you need to:

• Download the Prison Video app
• Create an account
• Register all visitors
• Add the prisoner to your contact list.

How to book a secure video call

Secure video calls at this prison can be requested by prisoners only.

You will receive a notification if a prisoner has requested a video call with you.

Read more about how it works

Phone calls

Prisoners (except for those on a restricted regime or in segregation) have phones in their cells. They can only make outgoing calls so they will always have to call you. They must buy phone credits to do this and can call between 7am and 10pm.

They can phone anyone named on their list of friends and family. This list is checked by security when they first arrive so it may take a few days before they are able to call.

Prisoners can also use the phones on their unit.

Depending on their daily activity, they can call between:

• 8:15am to 8:45pm
• 10:30am to 11:30am
• 3:15pm to 4:30pm

You can also exchange voicemails using the Prison Voicemail service .

Officers may listen to phone calls as a way of preventing crime and helping keep people safe.

You can send emails to someone in Leeds using the Email a Prisoner service .

You might also be able to attach photos and receive replies, depending on the rules at Leeds.

You can write at any time.

Include the person’s name and prisoner number on the envelope.

If you do not know their prisoner number, contact Leeds .

All post, apart from legal letters, will be opened and checked by officers.

Send money and gifts

You can use the free and fast online service to send money to someone in prison .

You can no longer send money by bank transfer, cheque, postal order or send cash by post.

If you cannot use the online service, you may be able to apply for an exemption - for example if you:

• are unable to use a computer, a smart phone or the internet
• do not have a debit card

This will allow you to send money by post.

Gifts and parcels

People in Leeds are given a list of approved items that can be sent to them as gifts. Contact Leeds for more information on what’s allowed.

You can only bring in items if the prisoner has applied for and been granted permission. They also must have detailed the items.

They can only be brought in by person and accepted at these times:

• Monday: 9am to 11:30am and 2pm to 6pm
• Tuesday: 9am to 11:30am and 2pm to 3:30pm
• Wednesday: 9am to 11:30am and 2pm to 3:30pm
• Thursday to Sunday - closed

Family and friends of prisoners are permitted to send books directly to their loved ones, or can order books from approved retailers, which can source and send the books on to prisoners.   For the full list of approved retailers, you can read the HMPPS Incentives Policy, Annex F .

Make sure to include the person’s name and prisoner number on the parcel.

All parcels will be opened and checked by officers.

Life at Leeds

Leeds is committed to providing a safe and educational environment where prisoners can learn new skills to help them on release.

Security and safeguarding

Every person at Leeds has a right to feel safe. The staff are responsible for their safeguarding and welfare at all times.

For further information about what to do when you are worried or concerned about someone in prison visit the Prisoners’ Families helpline website .

Arrival and first night

When someone first arrives at Leeds, they (or a member of staff) will contact their family by phone. This could be quite late in the evening, depending on the time they arrive.

All prisoners are searched, then given their ID, a hot drink, a shower, a change of clothes and a hot meal.

They will get to speak to someone who will check how they’re feeling and ask about any immediate health and wellbeing needs.

Each prisoner who arrives at Leeds gets an induction that lasts about a week. They will meet professionals who will help them with:

• health and wellbeing, including mental and sexual health.
• any substance misuse issues, including drugs and alcohol.
• personal development in custody and on release, including skills, education and training.
• other support (sometimes called ‘interventions’), such as managing difficult emotions.

Everyone finds out about the rules, canteen, fire safety, and how things like calls and visits work.

Accommodation

Leeds has nearly 700 cells, across 6 wings (A to F) which house over 1,100 prisoners. There are a mixture of single and shared cells. All wings have exercise yards and gym equipment.

There are residential wings, a first-night centre, an incentivised substance-free living wing (ISFL), a Complex Unit for those requiring additional support and a wing dedicated to vulnerable prisoners.

Education and work

In each 6-week period, the learning and skills department offers over 6000 class sessions, in a variety of subjects, ranging from business and self-employment to literacy and numeracy.

Leeds focuses on planning for each individual, so all prisoners take a basic skills screening test when they arrive. This makes sure all prisoners get the fundamental education they need in English and maths before they start work. This can then be matched to a realistic career plan so they can go on to get the skills and qualifications needed for work when they leave.

Leeds also works in partnership with  Bounceback  which offers City and Guilds qualifications in painting and decorating, carpentry and multi skills.

St Giles supports prisoners into employment on release.

The Offender Management Unit (OMU) works with the prisoners and voluntary and community services to help resettlement.

The ‘Fathers Inside’ programme helps fathers to develop and keep up good relationships with their children.

The Offender Assessment System (OASys) helps prisoners change anti-social behaviour to reduce risk of harm and reoffending.

Temporary release

Prisoners in category D are assessed weekly to be considered for release on temporary licence (ROTL). If they meet the criteria, they go to the board for consideration, and most are then prioritised for transfer to an open prison.

Organisations Leeds works with

The Offender Management Unit (OMU) works with the prisoners and also with voluntary and community services to help resettlement.

It works with:

• Shelter to get the prisoners somewhere stable to live.
• Leeds Community Health Trust for access to mental and physical healthcare and substance abuse and addiction services
• Citizens Advice and the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to help prisoners keep on top of finance and debt.
• Jigsawcharity which runs the visitor centre.
• The Community Chaplaincy Organisation
• Nacro which helps to house, educate, support, and advise people in need.

Support for family and friends

Find out about advice and helplines for family and friends .

Support at Leeds

The Prison Advice and Care Trust  offers support to families and partners while their loved one is in prison.

To contact family services email: [email protected]

To contact our Family Services Lead at HMP Leeds: please email [email protected] .

Concerns, problems and complaints

In an emergency.

Call 0113 203 2600 if you think a prisoner is at immediate risk of harm. Ask for the Orderly Officer and explain that your concern is an emergency.

Problems and complaints

If you have a problem email: [email protected]

Inspection reports

HM Prison and Probation Service publishes action plans for Leeds in response to independent inspections.

Contact Leeds

Governor: Rebecca Newby

Telephone: 0113 203 2600 Monday to Friday: 7am to 10pm Weekends: 7am to 5pm Outside these hours, calls are diverted to the communications room.

Fax: 0113 203 2601 Find out about call charges

Email: [email protected]

Follow Leeds on Twitter/X

HMP Leeds 2 Gloucester Terrace Stanningley Road Leeds West Yorkshire LS12 2TJ

Updated Governor

Updated visiting guidance based on 1 April COVID rule changes

Added link to new safer custody information under Security and safeguarding.

Updated visiting information: Testing for visitors aged 12 and over.

Added link to information about testing for physical contact at visits.

New visiting times and booking information added.

Prison moved into National Stage 3 framework and is now preparing to open visits for family, friends and significant others. We will update this page with specific visiting information as soon as possible.

Updated visiting information in line with new local restriction tiers.

Updated visiting information in line with coronavirus restrictions. 

Updated visiting information in line with coronavirus restrictions.

Added confirmation of secure video calls being made available at this prison.

update to survey link

added survey link

First published.

Related content

Is this page useful.

• Yes this page is useful
• No this page is not useful

Help us improve GOV.UK

Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.

To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. We’ll send you a link to a feedback form. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Don’t worry we won’t send you spam or share your email address with anyone.

Visits & Getting there, HMP Leeds

Visits are held 3 times each weekday at 10:30, 14:00 and 15:30, and 4 times at weekends or Bank Holidays at 9:00, 10:30, 14:00 and 15:30. Each visiting session last 1 hour. These are new visiting times and those shown on the Ministry of Justice haven’t been updated. In conjunction with the Visitors Centre the prison provide a number of family focused, visits based around special themes such as Christmas, Easter and EID. Check with the visitor’s centre for more details.

You can book visits by all the usual ways at HMP Leeds. To book by telephone call 0113 2032995 9:00am to 10:00am, 2:00pm to 3:00pm. You can also book in person at the visitors centre 10am to 10:30am and 3pm to 3:30pm. To book online, visit: www.gov.uk/prison-visits . You will need the name and date of birth of the person you are visiting and their prisoner number. You can choose up to 3 possible dates and times. Prison booking staff will check what’s available and confirm your visit by email. If you’ve made an online visit booking request and haven’t received a confirmation email within 1-3 working days, please email  [email protected]

For a visit go to the visitors centre who will book you in and carry out the identification/security checks prior to your visit. You will then be taken to the visiting hall and searched by the prison staff. You are allowed to take in up to £20 in coins to purchase tea, coffee and “tuck shop” items in the visits hall.

The visits at Leeds are helped by a charity called Jigsaw. They have an excellent web site (click here) which has other helpful information.

HMP Leeds is situated on the A647 approx. 1.5 miles to the west of Leeds city centre in West Yorkshire.

If you want to plan your journey on public transport visit the Yorkshire Travel  produced web site, (click here) . It is an excellent way to plan your visits. The basic details are shown below.

Buses  to the prison

From the train station buses – 85, 87, X14, X15 (limited running times/days, please check prior to travel on the link above)

Buses – 16 and 16a run from opposite the Bus Station and also Leeds Train Station to the back of the prison (Hall Lane).

Bus – 72 from bus station to Gloucester Terrace.

The nearest railway station is in Leeds city centre where you can easily get a taxi from the cab rank.

• From the West – (M62) turn off onto M621 (which bears left just after J27) and follow City Centre sign.
• From the North follow A1/M1 link, A64 West, A58M (Halifax, Bradford sign).
• From the South – M1, M621 (Junction 2) and follow City Centre signs.
• From East – M62, M1 (North), M621 (Junction 2) and follow City Centre signs.

All routes, on approaching the Armley Gyratory take the A647 to Bradford. The prison is half a mile on the left.

Parking is extremely limited at the prison. Ample street parking is available in the surrounding residential areas.

Return to Leeds

Share this:

• Legal casework
• Publications

Prisons · West Yorkshire

Overcrowding.

Certified Normal Accommodation (CNA): 641

Population: 1106

Leeds is a category B local prison, built in 1847. It was formerly known as Armley Prison.

Read Leeds’ latest inspection report here. 

About this information

Certified Normal Accommodation (CNA) is the prison service’s own measure of how many prisoners can be held in decent and safe accommodation. Any occupancy above CNA means that the prison in question is overcrowded.

Prisons in England and Wales fall into four separate security categories. Some prisons can operate under more than one category.

Category A : Category A prisons are high security prisons, holding those individuals considered the most threatening to the public should they escape. Category A prisons should not be overcrowded, given the high levels of security required.

Category B: Category B prisons, or local prisons, are the largest category of prison. They tend to hold un-sentenced prisoners, prisoners on remand awaiting trial, short-sentenced prisoners or those newly sentenced and awaiting transfer to another prison category. Category B prisons tend to be the most overcrowded, with a constantly churning population.

Category C: Category C prisons are sometimes called ‘training prisons’. They are meant to offer education and training to prisoners and the vast majority of prisoners on longer sentences will spend time in Category C accommodation. Historically not overcrowded, we now see more and more Category C prisons running overcrowded regimes.

Category D: Category D prisons offer open conditions and house those who can be reasonably trusted not to try to escape. Prisoners in Category D prisons will be given Release On Temporary Licence (ROTL) to work in the community or go on home leave, usually returning to the prison in the early evening. The majority of Category D prisoners will be towards the end of their sentence, and their period in open conditions is preparing them for their eventual release. Category D prisons tend not to be overcrowded.

Tagged with

• local prisons
• overcrowding
• prison watch

Join the Howard League

We are the world's oldest prison charity, bringing people together to advocate for change.

Support our work

We safeguard our independence and do not accept any funding from government.

On: Yorkshire Magazine

• Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Arts Interviews
• Bios & Memoirs
• Film & TV
• Food and Drink
• Non-Fiction
• Live Comedy
• Film Reviews
• Bands & Artists Q&A
• Album Reviews
• Live Reviews
• Photography
• Yorkshire Music Scene
• Yorkshire Theatre
• Spa Reviews
• Business Stories
• Jobs and Work
• Car Reviews
• Motoring News
• Food Features
• Recipe Box Reviews
• UK & International Restaurant Reviews
• Wine Questions
• Yorkshire Restaurant Reviews
• Family & Childcare
• Father’s Day
• Product Reviews
• Mother’s Day
• School & Education
• Valentine’s Day
• Hotel Reviews
• Travel Reviews
• Yorkshire Travel Reviews
• Yorkshire Cycling
• Yorkshire Features
• Yorkshire History
• Yorkshire Sport
• Yorkshire Transport
• Yorkshire Walks

Armley Jail – A History of the Town and the Prison

Keith Spence looks back at the grim history of one of the country’s most notorious prisons and asks whether the town has now been given a reprieve from its life sentence…

The grim and forbidding facade of the notorious Victorian jail has dominated the skyline of the proud town of Armley for over 160-years. Its presence spreads an air of notoriety through a town which across the years has grittily got on with its business and has a proud and fascinating industrial history with its clanking mills and bustling factories. Now that Armley’s raison d-etre – the industrial revolution – has been consigned to the history books, is a new window of opportunity about to open? Having failed to live up to its potential, is there a chance that things are now about to change for the town?

“Ideas for a public mural”

Now, sadly, Town Street is a shadow of its former self, run down and rather shabby with a hang-dog look. Family businesses have disappeared, butchers have been replaced by bookies, an amusement arcade is next door but one to a smart solicitors’ front office with the sign “Can we help? No appointments needed”. Handy if you’ve hit hard times amusing yourself. In fact the area now has three bookmakers, two amusement arcades and a pawnbrokers. Opposite is a narrow street called “The Gang” while round the corner is Armley Fashions, specialists in hairdressing and hospital garments. But is all this about to change?

A one and a quarter million pound Townscape Heritage funding project for Town Street is planned which is hoped will revitalise the area and make shopping once more a pleasurable expedition. Life will come back to Town Street with new jazzy pavements and flats above the single-storey shops; there will be wine bars and coffee shops. Derelict buildings will be improved and shops given a facelift in the biggest plan for any area in Leeds. There are even ideas for a public mural depicting scenes from Armley’s history.

“Employs a lot of local labour”

As other towns have smartened their act, Armley has been left behind. At the height of the property boom it was regarded as “the next best thing“, “up and coming“, and the “latest hotspot” whenever the place was mentioned in property circles. Well, it’s been slow to happen. The yuppies have stayed away, the property investors have gone elsewhere and the town has languished. The centre has been allowed to deteriorate. Now more is going to be done to attract younger residents. Surely, if it was good enough in the past for the likes of Alan Bennett and Barbara Taylor Bradford, there must be hope for the future.

“Community spirit”

Councillor McKenna wouldn’t live anywhere else. “Armley’s got a lot going for it. When the housing market gets back on song it will take off. It’s got the best medical centre in Leeds and they’re building a new high school. All is not lost – in fact it’s good news. There’s a great community spirit with 70 people regularly attending our monthly forums when plans for Armley’s future are discussed.”

He says there is plenty of work in Armley, but much of it is low paid. There’s a fair share of asylum seekers and plenty of Poles and East Europeans. They are big assets to the community, working on the buses, and in the building trade. He doesn’t feel the prison image drags the area down. Although he feels they’d have a job to persuade the community to let them build one there now, although it employs a lot of local labour.

In fact, Armley was a very special place for anyone brought up there and brings back nostalgic memories. Many couldn’t get away from the close proximity of the prison. In fact those who went to school in Armley recall that the back wall of the school was the back wall of Armley jail. Not everyone enjoys life in the prison, of course, but Malcolm Wright, an officer for 30 years, certainly did. “It was very interesting. You never knew what you would be doing from one day to the next.”

He says overcrowding comes in for criticism from outsiders but has never known a prisoner complain. “Prisoners don’t like to be alone. They’re far happier with two or three in a cell. Some don’t like to be on their own at night and I’ve often been asked if someone could be moved in to keep them company.”

“Rope snapped”

One prisoner was hanged twice. John Henry Johnson from Bradford was convicted at Leeds Assizes in 1877 for shooting a man. The executioner put a white bag over his head and pulled the lever. The trap door opened but the rope snapped. He was uninjured but ten minutes later he was hanged again. The rope held but his body wasn’t motionless until five minutes after he was sent to his death.

Many of the hangings were of jealous men who had murdered their wives or girlfriends because they were unfaithful. Although one concerned a Harrogate car dealer, Robert Moore, 36, who had a row with another car dealer from Leeds, a married man called Edward Watson. Watson ended up in a shallow grave near Swinsty Reservoir after being shot. Moore tried to gas himself but didn’t have a shilling for the gas meter. He went next door where he wouldn’t need money for the meter. But the owner came home and found him. After being discharged from hospital he took the police to the grave where they found Watson. He was hanged on January 5, 1954.

The last execution to be carried out at Armley Jail was that of a Hungarian man called Zsiga Pankotai. He was caught burgling the home of a market trader, Jack Myers, off Street Lane in Roundhay . Myers was knifed and the killer was later found with a large quantity of clothing he had stolen. The execution was carried out on June 29, 1961.

“The son of a lion tamer”

He was caught, sentenced to death and while awaiting trial confessed to killing a policeman. The man who had been given a life sentence for the murder of the policeman was then released. When he was taken to the gallows, Peace told the executioner: “Stop a minute.”

He then said: “Amen, God have mercy on me.”

He told reporters watching of the wicked life he had led, ending with: “ Heaven bless you all. Goodbye, Amen”.

‘Armley Gaol 1864 to 1961 The Execution Era’, costing £7 (including p&p), is available from Malcolm Wright, 35 Leadwell Lane, Rothwell, Leeds LS26 0SR

88 Minutes (2007) – Film Review

The making of the damned united, related articles.

A History of Whitby Lighthouse

A History of Spurn Lighthouse, Kilnsea

The History of The Grand Hotel, Scarborough

A Short History of Canon Hall, Barnsley

A fascinating tale. Kindest Regards, Keith Nick

My great-gran’s trial and case is to be explored on next year’s Murder Mystery and My Family with a book about her life and my own – and how they connected ‘Sins of the Family’ have done very well. I dearly would like to have her exhumed and given a proper christian burial – this I am looking into.

My great, great grandfather Abraham Crowther worked as a warden at Armley prison. He was one of the first staff to work there. If anybody as any more information about him I would be grateful.

MY RELATION WAS THE FIRST WARDEN WHEN ARMLEY PRISON WAS OPENED…HE LIVED IN ARMLEY.

Hello to the two mentioning wardens at Armley Jail. I have an old family album. They lived at Armley. Many photos I do not know who they are. However there is one of a jailer with a big bunch of keys. I tend to think he was not family, but maybe neighbour. Would you recognise your relative?

Can I make a comment about the last man to be hung at armley prison a hungerian your report says I various things I disagree with because when I was young I was no Angel and was being booked into leeds bridewell .when I was stood at the booking in desk stood at my side was the last man to be hung in armley the Hungarian I never forget a face but can’t remember names..If my memory serves me well the tale goes a friend of the Hungarian told him the murderd man was a well off market trader who kept money in his house so he went to rob him but Mr Myers came home so he beat Myers to death .then stole some clothing(jeans)and offerd to sell them to a chap in the pub in leeds market called the market hotel (regulars called it the madhouse)but the chap he asked thought he would be able to sell them on to Mr Myers and discovered the poor chap dead I also thought the year was 1962. best regards Walt ps please excuse my spelling

my hubby was in armley jail when that hanging took place

Leave a reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Featured articles...

Cluedo 2: The Next Chapter – Review – Hull New Theatre

Drop The Dead Donkey: The Reawakening – Review – Leeds Grand Theatre

The Golden Lion at Settle – Review

Broughton Sanctuary, Skipton – Review

Blue Pavilion, Leeds – Restaurant Review

Northern Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet – Review – Sheffield Lyceum Theatre

• The weekly online and monthly printed national newspaper for prisoners and detainees

Search articles and comments

Behind the gate: hmp leeds.

• Inside Time Reports
• 1st March 2022

HM Prison Leeds is a Category B, male adult prison, located at Gloucester Terrace in the Armley area of Leeds in West Yorkshire, which opened its gates in 1847. Known locally as Armley Gaol, which is the historical name for the prison, construction of Leeds Prison (originally named Leeds Borough Gaol) was completed in 1847. Built from locally quarried stone, the prison originally had four wings radiating from a central point in a Victorian architectural style (known as ‘radial’) typical of the time. Each of these four wings had three landings of cells. Eventually Armley Gaol was renamed along with other prisons to make their locations more obvious to people unfamiliar with these areas.

HMP Leeds serves magistrates and crown courts in West Yorkshire, and parts of North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester. In addition to serving the courts, the key focus of the prison is to ensure prisoners are discharged, having had their housing needs assessed and where possible settled accommodation and employment arranged. The establishment also focuses on support to prisoners with regards to health and lifestyle, including drug detoxification and prescribing programmes as well as the delivery of the Short Duration Drugs Programme.

The prison can house up to 1,212 prisoners in six residential units, a segregation unit, First Night Centre, Vulnerable Prisoner unit and in-patients Healthcare Facility.

There have been 11 deaths at Leeds Prison since May 2013, the second worst number of prison fatalities in the country. Only HMP Woodhill has a worse record. Vikki Thompson, a transgender woman, was denied a transfer to a women’s prison. She was found dead in the prison.

The prison was a site for execution by hanging from 1847 to 1961. The final execution there was that of Zsiga Pankotia, who was executed by hangman Harry Allen for the murder of Jack Eli Myers in a house burglary in the city’s affluent Roundhay district. The final execution in the original A Block was that of 19-year-old Walter Sharpe in 1950.

The castle-style entrance range of the building and the 200 metres of perimeter wall received a Grade II heritage listing in 1976. A further two wings were added in 1994, and a new gate complex was opened in September 2002. Most of the older parts of the prison have been extensively refurbished since 2003.

In August 2003, a study by the Prison Reform Trust revealed that Leeds prison had the highest level of recorded drug use among prisoners in England & Wales – 28.3% of all inmates held at Leeds tested positive for controlled substances. In 2006 the prison became the first to migrate onto the C-NOMIS computer system. This was a large undertaking at great financial impact to the government.

In June 2008, a report by HMCIP severely criticised conditions for inmates at Leeds Prison and accused managers of making up figures relating to how long inmates spent in their cells. In reality some prisoners were out of their cells for just two and a half hours a day. The report also highlighted problems with hostile and unhelpful staff at the prison.

In June 2010, a further report by Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons on their unannounced follow-up visit commented that “it is pleasing to report that this unannounced follow-up visit charted further progress in all areas, as a result of close and effective management” and that “there had been a noticeable improvement in staff-prisoner relationships and considerable management attention to aspects of diversity, in particular race.” However, the report also claimed that illicit drug use at the prison was high, in-patient and day care facilities as part of the healthcare provision remained inadequate, and the prison lacked enough purposeful activity for inmates, with many prisoners spending too much time in their cells.

In May 2013, a further inspection report found that conditions had generally improved at the prison, including lower drug use amongst prisoners and better healthcare facilities. The report also praised security at the prison and its resettlement wing. However, the report highlighted that prisoners still lacked enough purposeful activity, and that vulnerable inmates needed better protection at the prison. The report also found that the quality and quantity of food given to inmates was poor.  

Two months later, Leeds Prison was the first prison in the country to be awarded a ‘Leaders in Diversity’ award from the National Centre for Diversity. The award was given in recognition of the prisons efforts to be inclusive for LGBT staff and inmates, as well as various equality and diversity programmes at the prison for all staff and inmates.

Share this on:

You might also enjoy...

Charlie Cheam

• 2nd April 2024

Inside Chess

• Carl Portman

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Conditions of acceptance of website comments

Armley Prison Leeds

Tel: 0113 203 2600  –  2 Gloucester Terrace, Stanningley Road, Leeds LS12 2TJ

HMP Leeds has an elaborate façade and the building itself dates back to 1847. The four wings of the prison are laid out in a classically Victorian radial style, and originally, the establishment was called Armley Jail, as it is located in the Armley area of the city. The prison has a capacity of 1,212 and is a category B adult male establishment. It claims to be firmly focused on supporting and resettling prisoners after they’ve served their sentence. If you’d like to find out how to get to HMP Leeds, please use the map on this page.

Tel: 0113 203 2600

Operational capacity: 1212

2 Gloucester Terrace, Stanningley Road, Leeds LS12 2TJ

Prison Phone have been helping inmates at HMP Leeds to maintain family contact by reducing the cost of calls from the PINS payphone system.

Send me Leeds prison details via FREE SMS

Mobile number:

Here’s some facts about Armley Prison Leeds

HMP Leeds is a category B men’s prison in the Armlet area of Leeds, West Yorkshire. Opened in 1847, the prison has capacity to hold 1212 inmates.

The prison has wings A-F, and an intermediate social care unit. A wing has the vulnerable prisoner unit, and the segregation unit on A1. B, C, E and F wings hold adult male convicted prisoners and those on remand. D wing is a recovery unit and the first night centre on D1. The intermediate social care unit holds men with identified social care needs that cannot be met in the main prison environment.

One wing at HMP Leeds was put on lockdown on the 9th August 2017 after a violent incident involving two prisoners. The wing was locked down for 45 minutes, and all prisoners in that wing were locked in their cells. This meant at least one court hearing was missed.

To view the latest HMIP inspection report, click here .

Visiting hours are 10:00 – 11:30, 14:00 – 15:00 & 15:30 – 16:30 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 09:00 – 10:00, 10:30 – 12:30, 14:00 – 15:00 & 15:30 – 16:30 Saturdays and Sundays.

There were 46 fires reported in the prison in 2016.

In 2013, HMP Leeds was awarded a Leaders in Diversity award, for their efforts to create an inclusive environment in the prison.

The Howard League for Penal Reform revealed that the prison had the highest rates of suicide in the UK, in 2005.

Prison Phone offers phone tariffs that reduce the costs of calls from this prison by up to 75%! This enables prisoners to get the support and love that they are missing from home, while reducing costs for the inmate. Find out more below.

Recent blogs.

Dartmoor Prison to stay open

Nikki 2021-12-22T15:20:04+00:00 December 29th, 2021 | Categories: feature , Justice System , Law and Order , Law Enforcement , Midweek feature , News discussion , News Roundup , politics , Uncategorized | Tags: category a prison , category b prison , category c prison , dartmoor prison , hmp dartmoor , prison news , prison reform , uk prison service , uk prison system |

A new lease to keep HMP Dartmoor open "beyond [...]

Gartree Prison Expansion Plans Moving Closer

Nikki 2021-12-22T14:43:06+00:00 December 23rd, 2021 | Categories: feature , Guide to all things Prison related , Midweek feature , prison phone , Prison reform scheme 2016 , Specific Prison posts , Uncategorized | Tags: category b prison , council , family support for inmates , Gartree Prison , HMP Gartree , ministry of justice , moj , new prison , prison reform , uk prison service , uk prison system |

The new Prison Programme has now moved one huge [...]

HMP Hull has its own TV show

Nikki 2021-12-06T21:57:16+00:00 December 9th, 2021 | Categories: England and Wales Prisons , feature , Justice System , Law and Order , Midweek feature , prison phone , Specific Prison posts , Uncategorized | Tags: category b prison , education in prison , HMP , hmp hull , hull prison , inmates , prison categories , tv show |

HMP Hull has started their very own TV show, [...]

HM Prison Leeds

Table of Contents

HM Prison Leeds, also known locally as Armley Gaol, is a men’s prison located in Leeds, West Yorkshire. With a population of over 1,100 inmates, Leeds Prison has a long and complex history since first opening its doors in 1847.

History and Construction

Construction of Leeds Prison was completed in 1847, with the original structure featuring four cell wings in a radial shape extending from a central point. This Victorian style of architecture was common for prisons of the era.

The prison was originally named Leeds Borough Gaol, before being renamed to reflect its status as a Her Majesty’s Prison. Locally, however, it is still often referred to by its original name of Armley Gaol.

The impressive original gatehouse and high perimeter wall date back to the opening of the prison, and were granted Grade II* listed status in 1976. This makes them particularly important examples of Victorian prison heritage.

Executions at the Prison

As with many prisons of its time, Leeds Prison was a site of capital punishment by hanging from 1847 up until the last execution in 1961.

During this period, dozens of condemned prisoners faced the gallows within the walls of the prison. The final hanging was conducted in 1961, when a 31-year-old man was executed for murder during a burglary.

Executions at Leeds Prison were traditionally carried out using the infamous “long-drop” method, designed to break the prisoner’s neck cleanly. This gruesome practice cast a long shadow over the history of the prison.

Controversies and Issues Over the Years

While Leeds Prison aims to reform prisoners today, it has been plagued by controversies and scandals throughout its history.

There have been serious concerns raised around prisoner welfare, including high suicide rates, poor conditions, and lack of purposeful activity for inmates. The prison has also struggled with very high drug use among the inmate population.

Violence, self-harm and neglect have all contributed to the prison’s reputation for volatility. In one notorious case, a racist cellmate beat a young Muslim prisoner to death.

After particularly damning inspections uncovered major failings, increased investment has improved facilities and conditions for inmates. But Leeds Prison still faces challenges around prisoner safety and reform.

Life at HM Prison Leeds Today

Today, HM Prison Leeds houses its 1,100+ prisoners in six main residential units, plus additional facilities like healthcare and segregation.

With many inmates serving short sentences or on remand, the prison emphasizes release planning and rehabilitation. Programs assist prisoners with housing, employment, addiction recovery, and lifestyle changes.

HM Prison Leeds serves courts across West Yorkshire, taking in new inmates on a daily basis. For many prisoners, time here is their first experience of life behind bars.

Inside the prison walls, inmates participate in work duties, education classes, training courses, gym access and worship services. But HM Inspectors have called for even more structured activity to prevent boredom.

Security at the prison has tightened over time, including perimeter CCTV, restricted inmate movement and regular cell searches. The prison aims to balance security with rehabilitation.

Notable Inmates

Leeds Prison’s long history means it has housed many high-profile and notorious inmates over the years, including:

• Peter Sutcliffe, the “Yorkshire Ripper” serial killer
• Charles Bronson, the infamous criminal dubbed “Britain’s most violent prisoner”
• John Poulson, an architect jailed in the 1970s for corruption
• Stefan Kiszko, who was later exonounced after serving 16 years for murder

Having housed some of the country’s most dangerous offenders has added to Leeds Prison’s stark reputation.

Impact on the Local Community

With a large inmate population, Leeds Prison provides employment for many local residents. But its presence has also negatively impacted the community.

Some feel it overshadows the area, and extensive security adds an oppressive feel. Property prices nearby are lower than other Leeds suburbs due to the prison’s proximity.

However, local groups like Friends of Armley Park are revitalizing green spaces around Leeds Prison and helping change perceptions. Partnerships with the prison also aim to benefit the community.

Improving Conditions and Rehabilitation

Recent years have seen increased investment and improvement works at Leeds Prison. But significant challenges remain to upgrade the outdated Victorian buildings.

There is now greater focus on rehabilitation programs to reduce reoffending rates. More purposeful inmate activity, training and resettlement support have been introduced.

Staff training has improved, aiming to create a more positive, proactive culture focused on prisoner welfare rather than just punishment. This will take time to permeate the prison’s ingrained institutional culture.

Greater government and community support, as well as ongoing internal progress, can help transform Leeds Prison’s future.

HM Prison Leeds has an extensive, varied and often troubled history, leaving a complex legacy. As one of the country’s largest prisons, the sheer scale of its operation poses difficulties.

But increased rehabilitation efforts, together with more humane treatment of prisoners, can help Leeds Prison in providing meaningful reform rather than merely confinement behind bars.

The prison’s poor reputation will not change overnight, but deeper coordination between staff, inmates, government agencies and local residents offers hope for gradual improvement.

When was Leeds Prison first constructed?

Leeds Prison was constructed in 1847. The original buildings were in a Victorian radial style.

What notable or infamous criminals have been held at Leeds Prison?

Some of its most infamous inmates include Peter Sutcliffe, Charles Bronson, Stefan Kiszko and John Poulson.

How many inmate deaths have occurred recently?

There have been 11 inmate deaths at Leeds Prison since 2013, giving it the second highest number in the country.

What is the current population of Leeds Prison?

Leeds Prison today houses over 1,100 adult male inmates within its walls.

What are some of the main problems faced by Leeds Prison?

It has faced issues with prisoner welfare, drug use, rehabilitation efforts, outdated facilities and maintaining security.

Similar Posts

The Clink Nestled along the south bank of the River Thames stands the site of one…

HM Prison Kennet

HM Prison Kennet HM Prison Kennet was a short-lived, yet significant prison located in Maghull, Merseyside….

Tower of London

Tower of London The Tower of London has been a vital landmark in England’s capital for…

HM Prison Drake Hall

HM Prison Drake Hall Her Majesty’s Prison Drake Hall is a closed women’s prison located near…

HM Prison Low Moss

HM Prison Low Moss HM Prison Low Moss, located on the outskirts of Bishopbriggs near Glasgow,…

HM Prison Brixton

HM Prison Brixton With a history spanning over 200 years, HMP Brixton stands as one of…

HM Prison Leeds

HM Prison Leeds is a Category B men's prison , located at Gloucester Terrace in the Armley area of Leeds in West Yorkshire , England, which opened in 1847. Leeds Prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service , and is still known locally as Armley Gaol , the historical name of the prison.

21st century

The prison today, notable inmates, external links.

Construction of Leeds Prison (originally named Leeds Borough Gaol) was completed in 1847. Built from locally quarried stone, the prison originally had four wings radiating from a central point in a Victorian architectural style (known as 'radial') typical both of the time, and in the latest UK prisons. Each of these four wings had three landings of cells. Eventually Armley Gaol was renamed along with other prisons to make their locations more obvious to people unfamiliar with these areas.

The prison was a site of execution (by hanging ) from 1847 until 1961. The final execution was that of Zsiga Pankotia (31) on 29 June 1961, for the murder of 50-year-old Eli "Jack" Myers in a house burglary in the city's Roundhay district. The final execution in A block was that of 19-year-old Walter Sharpe in 1950. [1]

The 'Castle style' entrance range of the building and the 200 metres of perimeter wall received a Grade II* heritage listing in 1976. [2]

In 1990, the Howard League for Penal Reform announced that it would conduct its own independent inquiry into the deaths of five teenage prisoners at HMP Leeds. This followed a refusal by the Home Office to hold a public inquiry.

A further two wings were added in 1994, and a new gate complex was opened in September 2002, providing much needed staff facilities and an improvement to the entry point for all visitors and staff. Most of the older parts of the prison have been extensively refurbished since 2003.

In August 2003 a study by the Prison Reform Trust revealed that Leeds prison had the highest level of recorded drug use among prisoners in England and Wales. 28.3% of inmates held at Leeds Prison tested positive for controlled substances. [3]

In April 2004, Shahid Aziz was murdered by his racist cellmate at HMP Leeds, [4] sparking controversy over the similarities of the case with that of Zahid Mubarek .

In July 2005 The Howard League for Penal Reform published statistics showing that Leeds Prison had the second highest suicide rate of all prisons in England and Wales. 25 inmates had committed suicide at the prison between 1995 and 2004. [5]

In 2006 the prison became the first to migrate onto the CNOMIS computer system. This was a large undertaking at great financial impact to the government.

In June 2008 a report by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons severely criticised conditions for inmates at Leeds Prison, and accused managers of making up figures relating to how long inmates spent in their cells. In reality some prisoners were out of their cells for just two and a half hours a day. The report also highlighted problems with hostile and unhelpful staff at the prison. [6]

In 2008, Times journalist Robert Crampton used his Beta Male column to ask for invitations to give speeches, to improve his public speaking skills. He received 400 invitations, but only accepted a handful, including Leeds Prison. He visited the prison to give the speech in 2009, subsequently reporting on the experience in The Times . [7]

In June 2010 a further report by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons on their unannounced follow-up visit commented that "it is pleasing to report that this unannounced follow-up visit charted further progress in all areas, as a result of close and effective management" and that "there had been a noticeable improvement in staff-prisoner relationships and considerable management attention to aspects of diversity, in particular race". However, the report also claimed that illicit drug use at the prison was high, in-patient and day care facilities as part of the healthcare provision remained inadequate, and the prison lacked enough purposeful activity for inmates, with many prisoners spending too much time in their cells. [8]

In May 2013 a further inspection report found that conditions had generally improved at the prison, including lower drug use amongst prisoners and better healthcare facilities. The report also praised security at the prison and its resettlement wing. However the report highlighted that prisoners still lacked enough purposeful activity, and that vulnerable inmates needed better protection at the prison. The report also found that the quality and quantity of food given to inmates was poor. [9]

Two months later Leeds Prison was the first prison in the country to be awarded a Leaders in Diversity Award from the National Centre for Diversity. The award was given in recognition of the prisons efforts to be inclusive for LGBT staff and inmates, as well as various equality and diversity programmes at the prison for all staff and inmates. [10]

HMP Leeds serves magistrates and crown courts in West Yorkshire, and parts of North Yorkshire , South Yorkshire , Lancashire and Greater Manchester .

In addition to serving the courts, the key focus of the prison is to ensure prisoners are discharged, having had their housing needs assessed and where possible settled accommodation and employment arranged. The establishment also focuses on support to prisoners with regards to health and lifestyle, including drug detoxification and prescribing programmes as well as the delivery of the Short Duration Drugs Programme.

The prison can house up to 1212 prisoners in six residential units, a segregation unit, First Night Centre, Vulnerable Prisoner unit and in-patients Healthcare Facility.

There have been 11 deaths at Leeds Prison since May 2013, the second worst number of prison fatalities in the country. Woodhill Prison has a worse record. [11] Vikki Thompson, a transgender woman was denied a transfer to a women's prison. She was found dead in the prison. [12]

• Charles Bronson (prisoner) [13]
• Roy Chubby Brown [ citation needed ]
• Mary Fitzpatrick [14]
• Adam Johnson (footballer) [15]
• Stefan Ivan Kiszko [16]
• Lilian Lenton [17]
• David Oluwale [18]
• Charles Peace [19]
• John Poulson [20]
• Paul Russell [21]
• Peter Sutcliffe [22]
• Listed buildings in Leeds (Armley Ward)

Related Research Articles

HM Prison Birmingham is a Category B men's prison in the Winson Green area of Birmingham, England, operated by HM Prison and Probation Service.

HM Prison Lindholme is a Category C/D men's prison located near Hatfield Woodhouse in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. Lindholme is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service, and is situated in close proximity to Hatfield and Moorland prisons

HM Prison Kirklevington Grange is a Category D men's prison, located in the village of Kirklevington, in North Yorkshire, England. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.

HM Prison Full Sutton is a Category A and B men's prison in the village of Full Sutton, near Pocklington in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Full Sutton is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service, and holds 596 inmates, as of September 2018. The prison's primary function is to hold, in conditions of high security, some of the most difficult and dangerous criminals in the country.

HM Prison Wealstun is a Category C men's prison, located near the village of Thorp Arch in West Yorkshire, England. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.

HMP Hull is a Category B men's local prison located in Kingston upon Hull in England. The term 'local' means that this prison holds people on remand to the local courts. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.

HMP Bristol is a Category B men's prison, located in the Horfield area of Bristol. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.

HM Prison Styal is a Closed Category prison for female adults and young offenders in Styal, Cheshire, England. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.

HM Prison Winchester is a Category B men's prison, located in Winchester, Hampshire, England. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.

HMP Bedford is a Category B men's prison, located in the Harpur area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.

HM Prison Elmley is a local Category B/C men's prison, located close to the village of Eastchurch on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent. The term 'local' means that this prison holds people on remand to the local courts. Elmley once formed part of the Sheppey prisons cluster, which included HMP Standford Hill and HMP Swaleside; it is now a stand-alone establishment. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.

HM Prison Liverpool is a category B local men's prison in Walton, Liverpool, England. It is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.

HM Prison Exeter is a category B local and resettlement men's prison, located in Exeter in the county of Devon, England. It holds men sentenced by the courts of Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset. There are also prisoners from further afield who have been transferred from other prisons. Exeter Prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.

HM Prison Chelmsford is a Category B men's prison and Young Offenders Institution, located in Chelmsford, Essex, England. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.

His Majesty's Prison Lewes is a local category B prison located in Lewes in East Sussex, England. The term local means that the prison holds people on remand to the local courts, as well as sentenced prisoners. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.

HM Prison Lowdham Grange is a Category B men's private prison, located in the village of Lowdham in Nottinghamshire, England. The prison is currently operated by Sodexo Justice Services.

HM Prison Risley is a category C men's prison, located in the Risley area of Warrington, Cheshire, England, operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.

HM Prison Swaleside is a Category B men's prison, located close to the village of Eastchurch on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent. Swaleside forms part of the Sheppey prison cluster, which also includes HMP Elmley and HMP Standford Hill. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.

HMP New Hall. is a closed-category prison for female adults, juveniles, and young offenders. The prison is located in the village of Flockton in West Yorkshire, England. New Hall is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.

HM Prison Northumberland is a Category C men's prison, located in Morpeth near the village of Acklington in Northumberland, England. Since 2013 Northumberland has been operated by private prison firm Sodexo Justice Services under contract with His Majesty's Prison Service. Healthcare services are provided by Spectrum Community Health CIC.

• ↑ "Armley Prison: Entrance Range and Flanking Walls, Leeds" . British Listed Buildings . Retrieved 19 March 2016 .
• ↑ "Governor defends under-fire prison" . BBC News . 13 August 2003 . Retrieved 2 December 2008 .
• ↑ Dodd, Vikram (29 July 2004). "Life for murder of Asian cellmate" . The Guardian . Retrieved 6 August 2006 .
• ↑ "Prison suicides among the worst" . BBC News . 5 July 2005 . Retrieved 2 December 2008 .
• ↑ "Prison reported 'fictional' data" . BBC News . 24 June 2010 . Retrieved 12 September 2022 .
• ↑ Crampton, Robert (26 December 2009). "My year of public speaking" . The Times . London . Retrieved 15 February 2010 .
• ↑ "Report on an unannounced full follow-up inspection of HMP Leeds" (PDF) . Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2011 . Retrieved 13 September 2011 .
• ↑ "HMP Leeds – A very successful local prison" . Archived from the original on 20 August 2013 . Retrieved 20 August 2013 .
• ↑ "Leeds Prison praised for teaching inmates about LGBT History Month" . PinkNews . 9 July 2013 . Retrieved 20 August 2013 .
• ↑ "Call for inquiry over 'unbroken pattern' of deaths at prison" . The Guardian . Retrieved 2 May 2017 .
• ↑ "Transgender woman Vikki Thompson found dead at Armley jail" . BBC News . BBC . Retrieved 5 January 2017 .
• ↑ Gardner, Tony (14 April 2020). "The life and crimes of Britain's most notorious prisoner Charles Bronson" . Yorkshire Evening Post . Retrieved 11 September 2022 .
• ↑ "Winter Assize County no..3" . Yorkshire Gazette . British Newspaper Archive. 28 October 1882. p.   1 col3 . Retrieved 19 August 2019 .
• ↑ Kearney, Tony (24 March 2016). "Disgraced footballer Adam Johnson 'will serve his whole sentence with only fellow sex offenders for company' " . The Northern Echo . Retrieved 24 March 2016 .
• ↑ "A terrible crime with two victims" . Manchester Evening News . 13 August 2010 . Retrieved 11 September 2022 .
• ↑ "The National Archives – Homepage" . nationalarchives.gov.uk . Retrieved 12 September 2022 .
• ↑ "Memorial to be unveiled for David Oluwale 'hounded' to death by racist police – The Justice Gap" . thejusticegap.co.uk . Retrieved 12 September 2022 .
• ↑ Houdini, Harry (1928). Houdini: his life-story . London: Harcourt Brace. p.   14. OCLC   1930660 .
• ↑ "On this day, 15 March" . BBC News . 15 March 2005 . Retrieved 12 September 2022 .
• ↑ "Olivia Pratt-Korbel: Man who helped schoolgirl's killer jailed" . BBC News . 26 April 2023 . Retrieved 7 May 2023 .
• ↑ Osman, Arthur; Ford, Richard (22 May 1981). "Ripper trial: The final hours". The Times . No.   60934. p.   4. ISSN   0140-0460 .
• Ministry of Justice pages on Leeds

Life in the shadows of Leeds Prison where residents keep their curtains closed

Residents living outside HM Prison Leeds spoke of how the 'eyesore' building can attract some unwelcome guests

• 05:00, 9 OCT 2022
• Updated 08:33, 9 OCT 2022

Leeds residents have revealed what it’s like to live in the shadows of Leeds Prison.

HM Prison Leeds has been located on Gloucester Terrace in Armley since 1847. It’s the second highest category of a prison in the UK, Category B which means prisoners don’t require maximum security but escape needs to be made very difficult.

Residents who live mere yards away from the “eyesore” prison keep their curtains closed. They've said prisoner’s acquaintances tend to visit and shout over the towering wall and even set off fireworks on special occasions.

Read more: 'Dirty' Leeds takeaway with no working hand washing basin

The locals have also said they live in fear of antisocial quad bikers who rip up the communal green space as they seem to enjoy flagrantly disregarding the law so close to the high security prison wall. Nevertheless, the CCTV cameras, regular drones zooming over and patrols from the security make the residents feel more secure.

Shauni Wilmoth, 26, has been living there for four years and is originally from Pudsey. She earns an honest wage by arranging NHS referrals but feels like she has to keep her curtains closed.

Shauni said: “It’s noisier here, there’s usually people around causing bother. We usually hear people shouting into the prison, like just ‘hello’.

"Around Christmas time, we hear people shouting ‘Happy Christmas’ to people. I usually keep the curtains closed as you can see right into our house from the front.

“With all the cameras, I felt there’d be a lot less people causing bother. There’s cameras all around the prison, so it’s good on a security level.”

Kim Walker, 63, has lived there for ten years and went to the local school when she was a young child. The mother-of-three says prisoner’s family or friends sometimes go as far as setting off fireworks outside the prison walls.

Kim said: “Sometimes if they’ve got a friend or relative in the prison, and if it’s their birthday, Christmas or New Year they tend to stand outside and let off fireworks. We sometimes hear them shouting things. We get more trouble with the kids on their quadbikes.”

Speaking about her neighbours, the credit control supervisor Kim added: “It’s a really quiet, really nice street and everyone is really friendly and I think that’s because of the prison.

“For a start, we have a lot of security going around. When the prisoners are exercising, they send up drones and I do sometimes think there’s cameras we can’t even see. I do feel very safe. It’s just nice.”

Iris Cosgrove, 66, has lived beside the prison for 35 years and opened up about how she feels intimidated by the quad biking youths as she’s “not young and there’s usually quite a few of them”.

Iris said: “There’s CCTV cameras. But we do get a bit of trouble as well, we get quad bikers on the grass. We want boulders or something like that to keep them off.

“We get the odd shouting. The only other thing I can think of is travellers coming here for a funeral on the grass. It was such a mess, we all had to clear up afterwards.”

But she relents that: “Apart from it being the obvious eyesore, we’ve got the trees and cherry blossoms, it’s lovely around here.”

The mother of one, 31, has said during the late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee weekend in June, the prisoners got involved in their neighbourhood bingo session which they were having as part of a street-part.

Iris says she tends to hear the prisoners playing football and they once even interrupted a neighbourhood game of bingo. Some of the prisoners were shouting “full house” and causing hysterics for the residents. Iris chuckled, “It’s not all bad, they can be quite amusing, everyone was laughing.”

Follow Samuel Port on social media

Follow Samuel on Twitter here

You can read more of his stories here

Send an email to [email protected]

Or contact Samuel on Facebook if you want to share any news, stories or updates

• Leeds residents hit back at 'old fuddy-duddys' who oppose new Wetherspoon pub
• Mums on mission to save Leeds park after arsonists 'burn it to the ground'
• Leeds City Council 'won't rule out' return of German Christmas market to the city
• Leeds city centre's newest building 'is like something from the 70s'
• Luxury £150million apartment neighbourhood with cinema and rooftop terraces opens in Leeds
• Most Recent

The grim tales from behind the walls of Armley Prison

From England's most wanted man to the only woman hanged at the infamous Leeds jail

• 05:00, 14 JUN 2020
• Updated 07:41, 14 JUN 2020

Yorkshire breaking news and updates sent straight to your inbox

We have more newsletters

Armley Gaol was built in 1847 and by the late 19 th century it had become the principal prison for executions in Yorkshire .

The foreboding, castle-like jail, perched conspicuously above Leeds as a warning to criminals, became the only site for carrying out death sentences in Yorkshire after the last hanging took place at York Castle in 1896.

Hangings took place at Armley Gaol – officially called HMP Leeds but still known locally as ‘Armley’ – from 1864 when it held its first and only public execution.

The last hanging at Armley took place in 1961 four years before capital punishment in the UK was abolished.

In that time, various hangmen carried out the death sentences of 93 men and one woman.

Behind every death sentence is a tragic story; sometimes as tragic for the condemned person as it was for the victim.

Here are seven of those stories.

Joseph Myers and James Sargisson

This was the first execution and the only public execution at Armley. Two condemned murderers were hanged together for separate crimes.

Sargisson, 20, had murdered John Cooper during a robbery near Rotherham. While drinking in a pub in Laughton, near Rotherham , Sargisson had asked the time. Cooper obligingly showed Sargisson his watch. When Cooper set off to his parents’ house Sargisson followed him and bludgeoned the 26-year-old gardener to death with a hedge stake. Cooper’s body was found near Roche Abbey. His watch, money and keys were missing. Despite attempting to blame an accomplice, Sargisson was found guilty and sent to the gallows.

Myers, 43, from Sheffield , had stabbed to death his wife Elizabeth in a drunken rage. It was argued alcoholic Myers was a ‘good-natured fellow when he was sober, but that wasn’t very often’. His wife had just managed to have Myers released having assaulted her on a previous occasion.

Both were hanged outside the gaol in September 1864. The double execution, witnessed by around 80,000 people, did not go according to plan. Sargisson took several minutes to die while Myers’ throat wound – he had attempted to kill himself in prison – opened up in the noose creating a bloody scene.

It was described by the Leeds Mercury at the time as 'a sad and horrible picture of humanity’.

Charles Peace

This prolific burglar and double murderer was once Britain’s most wanted man with a £100 (about £12,000 in today’s money) bounty on his head.

In 1876, Peace, from Sheffield, shot dead PC Nicholas Cock as he tried to escape from a house burglary in Manchester.

Meanwhile, Peace, who had been maimed during an industrial accident as a child, had developed an obsession with the wife of his friend, a civil engineer called Arthur Dyson. Whether Peace was having an affair with Mrs Dyson isn’t clear but it was during an argument between the two men, outside Dyson’s home in Sheffield, that Peace shot Arthur Dyson dead.

After escaping to Hull, Nottingham and London he was eventually caught and tried – under a false name he had given – at the Old Bailey for burglary and attempted murder of a police officer. After his true identity was revealed he was tried at Leeds Assizes for Mr Dyson’s murder and sentenced to death. He later confessed to murdering PC Cock to exonerate another man, William Habron, who had been erroneously convicted of the policeman’s murder.

Peace was hanged at Armley Gaol in February 1879.

Joseph Laycock

Laycock was hanged for the murder of his wife Maria and their four children: Sarah (8), Francis (6), Mary (4) and Joseph (2) at their home on White Croft, Sheffield, in July 1884.

The itinerant worker, 34, had a string of petty convictions for theft and drunkenness and was suspected of stabbing a man. Laycock also had a reputation as a prizefighter and for violence against his wife, who too was prone to drunkenness and violence. He is believed to have been suffering from severe depression after a spell of forced military service.

After a day and evening of drinking, arguing and fighting, Laycock slashed the throat of Maria, 25, and their four children before cutting his own throat. When he was discovered by neighbours he asked to be left alone to die.

At his trial, Laycock begged for forgiveness but a death sentence was passed. As he stood in the noose Laycock is believed to have asked hangman James Billington: "You will not hurt me?" to which Billington replied: "No, tha’ll never feel it, for tha’ll be out of existence in two minutes."

Sheffield historian Chris Hobbs has compiled detailed newspaper reports of this case from the time which you can read here .

Emily Swann

The only women to be hanged at Armley murdered her husband William with her lover John Gallagher.

Swann, a mother-of-11, from Wombwell, near Barnsley , had been having an affair with her lodger Gallagher, a 30-year-old miner. Their affair was well known among neighbours as were the beatings Swann received from her husband. Following another battering at her husband’s hands, Gallagher beat Swann’s husband to death, egged on by Swann.

The couple were executed together on December 29, 1903. Both were wearing hoods and had nooses around their neck when Swann, 42, said: “Good morning, John”. Gallagher replied: “Good morning love.” Swann then said: “Goodbye, God bless you” before the trapdoor opened and the two were killed.

Edwin Sowerby

Sowerby served in the First World War and the experience for him – as it was for all who served – must have been horrific. The 27-year-old miner, from Crofton, near Wakefield , had been described as 'as decent a young fellow as ever walked the village’.

But it appeared Sowerby had been suffering ‘shell shock’, or what we now know as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He had complained of head pains, insomnia and suicidal thoughts before a doctor came to help him in October 1920.

His ex-girlfriend Jane Darwell had ended her relationship with Sowerby, possibly because she had been unable to cope with his mental illness. It was at a dance in Crofton where Sowerby slashed the throat of Darwell, 19, in front of several witnesses before trying to kill himself.

Today Sowerby would have been deemed unfit to stand trial or at most, convicted of the lesser crime of manslaughter due to diminished responsibility. But a jury at Leeds Assizes believed he was a murderer rather than deeply unwell and sentenced him to death, which was carried out at Armley in December 1920.

Sowerby took a photo – believed to be of Darwell – to the gallows.

• Alfred Moore

In what is believed to have been a miscarriage of justice Moore , a chicken farmer from Huddersfield , swung for the murder of two policemen, Det Insp Duncan Fraser and PC Gordon Jagger at his farm, in 1951.

The police, who suspected Moore of a string of burglaries, had placed a cordon around Moore’s farm hoping to catch him red-handed as he came home. On the night another individual approached the farm and when challenged by the two officers shot them.

Fraser and Jagger, 46 and 44, were believed to have been murdered by car dealer and suspected fence Clifford Mead , who died in Huddersfield in 1998. But on his deathbed, Jagger identified Moore as the gunman. Mead would later produce a handgun at a gathering at his home claiming: “This is the gun that killed two coppers at Kirkheaton in 1951.”

Moore, 36, protested his innocence right up until his execution in 1952 and his children and retired detective Steve Lawson have campaigned for a posthumous pardon .

The Alfred Moore case

Zsiga Pankotia

The last prisoner to be executed at Armley was a Hungarian national who murdered a market trader in the affluent Leeds suburb of Roundhay during a bungled burglary, in February 1961

Jack Eli Myers was a successful market trader in Leeds. He had also won £1,275 (nearly £30,000 today) on the football pools the year before, which he often told his customers about.

Pankotia, a 31-year-old coal miner, was burgling Myers’ house on Chelwood Avenue, when Myers came home early. Pankotia threatened Myers with a breadknife and a 25-minute fight ensued in which Myers was stabbed and battered with a chair.

Sign up for the YorkshireLive newsletter

There are many ways of keeping up-to-date with everything happening across Yorkshire as our journalists work day and night to bring you the very latest news.

We have our YorkshireLive app which is completely customisable and means you will only get the news which matters to you.

And we also send out daily newsletters which bring the best news and features direct to your inbox.

You can sign up very simply by popping your email address in the box at the top of this article, just under the picture, or clicking here .

At his trial, Pankotia’s defence argued Myers had died from a weak heart but the jury was having none of it and Pankotia (sometimes spelt ‘Pankotai’) was executed by hangman Harry Allen in June 1961.

M any thanks to Richard Clark of the website Capital Punishment UK which is packed with information on all these cases and many more.

• South Yorkshire
• Most Recent

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Leeds prison punished inmates by restricting showers, report finds

Staff at HMP Leeds restricted access during hot weather in June 2020, with shielding inmates also affected

• Coronavirus – latest updates
• See all our coronavirus coverage

Prisoners were unlawfully prevented from showering daily as punishment for poor behaviour, with shielding and self-isolating inmates also unable to do so, according to a damning report .

The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) at HMP Leeds also expressed “great concern” that an incident of a prison officer using undue force with a prisoner situated on the ground was not reported to the police. The officer was later dismissed after an investigation.

The annual report on the category B prison reveals that incidents of self-harm increased during periods of lockdown, and five prisoners killed themselves this year. Board members expressed concern of the “indignity of sharing a small cell” in which prisoners were forced to eat and use the toilet.

Inspectors in June 2020 observed staff members punishing inmates by withdrawing access to a shower, sometimes for more than a day. The report from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons said this practice would “always be unacceptable” but was “especially inappropriate” because of the hot weather at the time. The IMB report notes it stopped after the inspectors’ visit, but that not all prisoners were able to shower every day if they were isolating or shielding.

The prison in Armley, built for 600 men in 1847, now has a capacity for 1,110 people. During 2020, the inmates were confined to their cells for 23 hours a day – with 30 allotted minutes for exercise and 15-20 minutes for a shower – from March to December.

The members said that while the cost of single-cell accommodation would be prohibitive, the board “cannot consider that it is acceptable that the consumption of food occurs in the same space as integral toilet facilities”.

The report says that “curtailed, strict regime with confinement” meant that “levels of violence reduced dramatically”, although each time the regime was relaxed, incidences of bullying and violence would increase. There were 265 instances of violence recorded last year, 170 of which were prisoner-on-prisoner assaults or fights and 95 of which were assaults on staff.

A total of 675 incidents of self-harm were recorded – a drop from the previous year, when Ministry of Justice data recorded 1,062 self-harm incidents at the prison, the highest figure since comparable records began in 2004.

The report said the chair of the IMB, made up of unpaid members of the public appointed to monitor the day-to-day life in their local prison, attended a “use of force scrutiny” meeting where video footage was shown of a “prison officer acting in such a forceful way with a prisoner on the ground that he was suspended pending investigation and subsequently dismissed from the service”. “It is of great concern that the board later found out that this matter had not been reported to the police,” it continues.

A separate report published last week into a prisoner’s suicide in 2018 found that an officer had been sacked afterwards for not checking on him hourly and faking records. There have been 15 self-inflicted deaths of prisoners housed in HMP Leeds since January 2015.

During a visit to HMP Leeds in 2019, Boris Johnson said he did not want “to see prisons just be factories to turn bad people worse”.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “The inspection found prisoners were treated fairly and humanely.

“We took swift action to ensure all prisoners had access to showers daily, while every use-of-force incident is reviewed and investigated when necessary.”

• Prisons and probation
• UK criminal justice

More on this story

Spate of prisoner deaths at HMP Parc linked to drug spice

Prisoners could be let out 60 days early to relieve crowded jails in England and Wales

Curators criticise decision to anonymise UK prisoners’ artistic works

Early prisoner release scheme extended indefinitely in England and Wales

MoJ steps in at private prison after series of suspected suicides

Boy kept in solitary confinement wins £31,500 payout

Trans inmates with history of violence against women to be mostly kept out of female Scottish jails

Child prisons in England and Wales ‘significantly more violent’ than adult jails

No toilets in 6,900 prison cells in England and Wales, minister reveals

Prison suicides in England and Wales rise by nearly a quarter

Most viewed.

SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

History culture and architecture in Leeds

Skip to content

• Board index Main Forums Buildings and structures

Armley prison-The hangman's tunnel

Post by Phill_dvsn » Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:13 pm

Post by Firecracker » Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:26 pm

Post by liits » Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:28 pm

Post by Leodian » Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:38 pm

Post by Phill_dvsn » Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:40 pm

Post by geoffb » Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:44 pm

Post by liits » Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:52 pm

Post by Chrism » Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:55 pm

Post by Phill_dvsn » Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:57 pm

Post by Chrism » Tue Aug 23, 2011 3:04 pm

Return to “Buildings and structures”

• Main Forums
• ↳   Public houses
• ↳   Buildings and structures
• ↳   Clocks
• ↳   Signs and symbols
• ↳   Underground streets, tunnels, culverts
• ↳   The oldest ... in Leeds
• ↳   Transport
• ↳   Ghosts and goblins
• ↳   Names
• ↳   Parks, fields and woods
• ↳   Family History
• ↳   Nightlife
• ↳   Days out
• Help and support
• ↳   Forum content
• ↳   Technical support
• Other stuff
• ↳   General Chat
• ↳   Closed Topics
• Highly Irregular Features
• ↳   March 2007 - Leeds Town Hall
• ↳   Competition - What & Where?
• ↳   April 2007 - The Hyde Park Picture House
• ↳   May 2007 - Holy Trinity Church
• ↳   May 2007 - Situation Leeds
• ↳   Competition - Gaslamps
• ↳   June 2007 - Tunnels Under City Station
• ↳   Pub Names & What They Mean
• Board index
• All times are UTC

Powered by phpBB ® Forum Software © phpBB Limited

Privacy | Terms

• Farsley Celtic
• Stanningley
• Advertise/Partners

In 1902 Harry Houdini visited Armley to perform a stunt in Armley Prison, writes Mark Stevenson .

While doing a tour of Britain, Houdini would ask for a salary of £100, which theatres would refuse to pay.

Houdini would settle for a share of the takings which was a clever move on Houdini’s part. After his stunt in Armley prison his shows sold out and his share was nearly double what he had originally asked for.

The stunt involved him being strip searched before the Chief Constable. Once the Chief Constable was satisfied that he had nothing on him that could help him escape he ordered his constables to put three pairs of handcuffs on Houdini and to put him in a cell with two locks on just to be on the safe side.

Houdini had promised to pay £25 to the Police Orphanage if he failed to free himself. It took him all of 2 minutes 57 seconds to escape the cell.

The cell that he escaped from was once the cell of the notorious Victorian murderer Charles Peace.

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

Reader’s letter: armley training programme connects migrants to key services, in photos: easter weekend in pudsey, remembering captain wilfrid edwards vc in upper and lower wortley cemetery.

One side of My family (7 brothers) were “born under the shadow” of Armley but, I never Noudini that!

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of new posts by email.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

© 2020 West Leeds Dispatch

• News From Your Community

15 years, still on the road! I like wandering around 'allegedly' haunted locations, relying on rational thought and critical thinking, whilst still enjoying a good mystery and a good walk around a spooky old pile with my dog 'Spirit, now Jake the Jack Russell'. I am an artist and armchair skeptic, nature sounds.

• LOCATIONS LIST
• OTHER OLD PLACES
• RATIONAL MINDS

INTERESTING LINKS

• Jules Quiet Outdoors
• Gary Jay unbias videographer (must see)
• Jules Art and Illustrations blog
• British Listed Buildings (BLB)
• History Today
• Time Travel Britain
• Ancient Monuments Info
• Great British Ghosts with Michaela Strachan
• Derelict Places in the UK

Graded locations

Friday 26 september 2014, the jail where even the ghosts can't leave - armley jail, leeds, west yorkshire.

• Meet the Team
• Meet the Board
• Volunteering
• Finding a NHS dentist
• Where to go for NHS audiology
• Our work during Covid
• Inclusion for all
• Healthwatch Leeds Films
• How does it feel for me?
• The Big Leeds Chat
• People’s Voices Partnership
• Weekly Check Ins
• Reports & Recommendations
• Volunteer with us
• Get in touch

News & Events

Healthcare in hmp leeds.

HMP Leeds invited Healthwatch Leeds (HWL) to find out what works well and what can be improved with the healthcare in Armley prison

HMP Leeds invited Healthwatch Leeds (HWL) to find out what works well and what can be improved with the healthcare in Armley prison, following the implementation of a new contract with healthcare service provider Care UK. You can read all the recommendations in the report on the left below are a sample of some of our recommendations.

Recommendations

Consider putting a ‘confidential box’ on wings that could be used to report bullying.

Reviewing the reception process so the prisoners can be assessed by the health team on the first night.

Formalising a system so all new arrivals are seen by the HCRs and given written and/or verbal information about healthcare service.

Action Plan

HMP Leeds have supplied us with an action plan responding to our recommendations, here a few to see them all click on the report on the left hand side.

All applications now have a reply slip attached that enables us to immediately inform the patients when we have made an appointment. The slips are put in sealed envelopes and given to the Healthcare Reps to distribute.

Each clinician has been instructed to rebook appointments when call up officers are unable to collect patients to attend healthcare appointments.

The Safer Custody department has a community concern form that is available on each PID desk to report issues of concern. This is placed in the complaints box and collected daily. Consider a relaunch to raise awareness.

• International
• We are Beckett
• Accessibility
• Accommodation
• Merchandise
• Schools and Colleges
• Skills for Learning
• Sport and Active Lifestyles
• Student information
• Students' Union
• Teaching and Learning Resources
• (+44) 113 812 0000
• Other contact numbers

Leeds Beckett University - City Campus, Woodhouse Lane, LS1 3HE

• Undergraduate study
• Postgraduate study
• Distance learning
• Student experience
• Chat with current students
• Degree apprenticeships
• CPD and short courses
• Information for students and applicants
• Careers support
• Stay in touch
• How to apply
• Funding your studies
• Prepare for uni

Student Blog Squad

• Chat to a student
• Mature students
• Parents' guide
• Schools and colleges

Undergraduate Applicant Days

Undergraduate open days, virtual open day.

• Research degrees
• Professional development

Postgraduate Open Days

• Information for employers
• Sport and active lifestyles
• Leeds Beckett Students' Union

Life in Leeds

Virtual campus tour.

• Apply to study
• Fees and scholarships
• Support for students
• International partners
• International Summer School
• English language courses
• Study abroad
• Find your country for entry requirements
• English language requirements
• Find an agent in your country
• Applying for your visa
• Course fees and living costs
• International scholarships
• Support and advice
• Arrival guide
• Welcome week
• Global Village
• International Partners
• Study Abroad Partners
• Research centres
• Research Areas
• Research Excellence Framework
• Teaching and research facilities
• Research for business
• Carnegie Applied Rugby Research centre
• Centre for Active Lifestyles
• Centre for Applied Social Research
• Centre for Biomedical Science Research
• Centre for Child and Adolescent Physical Literacy
• Centre for Culture and Humanities
• Centre for Dementia Research
• Centre for Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Exchange
• Centre for Health Promotion
• Centre for Human Performance
• Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Citizenship, Education and Society (CIRCES)
• Centre for LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Education
• CollectivED: The Centre for Coaching, Mentoring & Professional Learning (in education)
• Centre for Psychological Research
• Centre for Race, Education and Decoloniality
• Centre for Research in Computer Science and Applications
• Centre for Social Justice in Sport and Society
• Centre for Sport Coaching
• Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools
• Cybercrime and Security Innovation Centre
• Interdisciplinary Centre for Implant Research
• Leeds Arts Research Centre
• Leeds Sustainability Institute
• Obesity Institute

The Retail Institute

• Story Makers Company
• Sustainable Business Research Institute
• Architecture
• Computer science
• Culture and the arts
• Events, Tourism and Hospitality Management
• Social Sciences
• The Graduate School
• Types of research degrees
• Funded studentships
• Doctoral funding
• Our university
• Our schools
• Our community
• Work with us
• Sustainability
• Contact and find us
• Campuses and facilities
• Equality and inclusion
• Governance, leadership and structure
• Public information
• Leeds School of Arts
• School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing
• Leeds Business School
• Carnegie School of Education
• School of Events, Tourism and Hospitality Management
• School of Health
• School of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Leeds Law School
• Carnegie School of Sport
• LBU Together blog
• Support. Report. Respect. A safe and inclusive community
• University Mental Health Charter
• WE CHALLENGE - the big issues affecting people and planet
• Schools and colleges outreach
• Business services
• Business consultancy
• Recruit our students

Work at Leeds Beckett

• Develop your business
• Develop your people
• Work with our students and graduates
• Leeds Beckett Business Centre
• The Knowledge Exchange
• Business news
• Get funded and innovate
• Office space, networking and mentoring
• Support for small and medium-sized businesses
• Tap into new research and insights

Help to Grow: Management

Knowledge transfer partnerships (ktps).

• Short courses and CPD

Carnegie Great Outdoors

The leadership centre, manage your preferences.

The Leeds Beckett website is designed to enable you to manage your own privacy preferences. By clicking on 'Cookies' below you can manage what data the site collects about your browsing. This will only maintain if you are on your own device or using a synched version of your chosen browser. If you are using a shared or public machine without synching your browser then there is no need to change the preferences.

Our site is built with accessibility in mind and we seek to adhere to the WACG AA levels of compliance for digital accessibility. To support that we have provided instructions on managing animations below.

Necessary cookies enable you to use all the different parts of leedsbeckett.ac.uk. Without them services that you have asked for cannot be provided. Necessary cookies can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.

Analytical cookies help us understand how people are using our websites, so we can improve them and provide a better user experience. We also sometimes get our approved partner companies to analyse how people are using Leeds Beckett Websites and they may set their own analytical cookies in order to do this.

Marketing cookies allow us to provide you with online adverts that are the most relevant and useful for you.

For more information please view our Privacy Policy

Animations & Interaction

The Leeds Beckett University website occasionally uses animations to page elements and animated gifs to add impact to pages. If you wish to stop them from playing for accessibility purposes or for personal preference then please see the guidance below. Please note that browsers sometimes change how they operate, so please refer to your browser help files to find their latest information.

How do I turn off animations?

Chrome users will need to use browser extensions. Animation Policy from Google will help you set your own preferences.

Microsoft Edge

There is currently no way to disable animations within Microsoft Edge. Users of Edge (Chromium) browser can install the Chrome extensions above and use them.

Internet Explorer

To stop animations on a single page you can just press the 'Esc' key. This will stop the animation on that page. If you wish to restart the animations you need to refresh the page. To permanently disable the playing of animated GIF images, open Internet Options > Advanced tab. Under the Multimedia section, uncheck the Play animations in webpage check-box, click Apply and Exit and then restart your computer.

Type about:config in Firefox address bar and hit Enter to open Settings. Search for the image.animation_mode flag and change its value from Normal to None. Once you restart Firefox this will disable animations.

Supporting Wellbeing at HMP Leeds

• Student Experience
• Sports and Exercise Therapy
• Prison Visit

Course Director", "label": ""}' href="https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/staff/helen-llewellyn/"> Helen Llewellyn

Course Director - BSc (Hons) Sports and Exercise Therapy

", "label": ""}' href="https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/blogs/school-of-health/authors/school-news/"> School of Health

The latest news and events from the School of Health.

More from the blog

Why i chose to do an apprenticeship at leeds beckett" }'> why i chose to do an apprenticeship at leeds beckett, my experience of studying a trainee nursing associate apprenticeship " }'> my experience of studying a trainee nursing associate apprenticeship, studying a degree apprenticeship" }'> studying a degree apprenticeship.

This website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience. See our Privacy policy .

Find your country

Middle East

North America

Can't find your country in our list?