A DARTMOOR prison inmate remains seriously ill in hospital after an apparent suicide attempt.

Firecrews from Princetown, Yelverton and Tavistock were called to the prison at about 10pm last Thursday, where rubbish and bedding had been set on fire in one of the cells.

Prison staff managed to extinguish the flames prior to the arrival of the crews — the 42-year-old man sustained serious injuries to his upper body, back and arms, which were treated by the Princetown and Yelverton firefighters.

The inmate was taken to Derriford Hospital and later transferred to the specialist burns unit at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol.

A fire service spokesman praised the prison senior officer and staff involved for their diligence and prompt action in extinguishing the fire and initially treating the casualty.

'Their actions definitely reduced the severity of the injuries sustained by the prisoner and stopped the fire from spreading,' he said.