AN ATTACK on a young prison officer that left him needing 17 stitches to his neck should be treated as attempted murder, the Prison Officers’ Association said today.

A 25-year-old prisoner, Michael McKenna, has been charged with grievous bodily harm, attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm and a racially aggravated public order offence.

He was accused of slashing a 23-year-old guard’s throat yesterday with a razor. He was due to appear at Nottingham magistrates’ court today.