Former Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins has died after being attacked in prison.
The paedophile rock star was serving a 29-year sentence at HMP Wakefield In West Yorkshire for child sex offences.
Emergency services were sent to the prison but the 48-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two men, aged 25 and 43, have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the incident.
A West Yorkshire Police statement read: "Detectives have launched a murder investigation after the death of a man in HMP Wakefield.
“Officers were called by staff at the prison at 9.39am this morning (Saturday, October 11) to reports of a serious assault on a prisoner.
“A man aged 48 was found with serious injuries. Despite medical attention he was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Two men aged 25 and 43 have been arrested on suspicion of murder and are currently in police custody.
“Detectives from the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team are investigating and enquiries remain ongoing.”
The prison went into lockdown in the immediate aftermath of the incident, sources said.
Ian Watkins has died while serving a 29-year prison sentence
| PA/SOUTH WALES POLICEA Prison Service spokesman said: “We are aware of an incident at HMP Wakefield which took place this morning.
“We are unable to comment further while the police investigate.”
Watkins was jailed for 29 years in December 2013 with a further six years on licence, after admitting a string of sex offences – including the attempted rape of a fan’s baby.
The disgraced singer was arrested following the execution of a drugs warrant at his former home in Pontypridd, Wales, on September 21, 2012, when a large number of computers, mobile phones and storage devices were seized.
Analysis of the equipment uncovered Watkins’ depraved behaviour.
Ian Watkins, pictured here in 2011, was the frontman of rock group Lostprophets
|GETTY
He was previously taken to hospital after being attacked in 2023.
At the time, police said his injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
And in 2019 he was jailed for 10 months on top of the sentence he was serving for child sex offences after he was found guilty of possessing a mobile phone in prison.
Watkins claimed two inmates forced him to hold on to the phone so they could contact women who sent him fan mail in order to use them as a “revenue stream”.
In his evidence, the defendant refused to name the men, but said: “You would not want to mess with them.”
He also said his fellow inmates were “murderers, mass murderers, rapists, paedophiles, serial killers – the worst of the worst”.