Four people died in High Down prison last year, including one by suicide, according to figures released by the Ministry of Justice.

The data shows that 89 of the country's prisoners took their own lives last year, including 45 across the south east.

This figure represents a 46 per cent rise in the number of deaths by suicide in English and Welsh prisons in the last three years.

As of Friday, January 29, the UK’s prison population was 85,461, according to the Ministry of Justice.

From March 2014: Damning report says 2013 has been a "dreadful year" for High Down prison

Eight prisoners were murdered in prisons across the UK in 2015 – the highest number in a single year since current recording practices began in 1978.

Five prisoners in Woodhill prison in Milton Keynes took their own lives last year – the highest figure in the country – while four inmates in Exeter, Ranby and Winchester died by suicide.

Four prisons, including Wandsworth, had three prisoners take their own lives in 2015.

From July 2015: Why are so many men dying inside Wandsworth Prison?

From July 2015: Shock death of "wife killer" Raymond Mills who becomes latest inmate to die in Wandsworth prison

The Howard League for Penal Reform and the Centre for Mental Health are working together on a joint programme to try to prevent suicides in prison.

Frances Crook, chief executive, said: "No one should be so desperate whilst they are in the care of the state that they take their own life.

"The numbers hide the true extent of misery for prisoners and families – and for staff, who have been given the impossible task of keeping people safe in overcrowded prisons starved of resources.

"The question now for the Ministry of Justice is: what to do? This level of deaths, violence and anguish in prisons cannot continue to rise in a civilised society.

"We cannot go on cramming more people into jails without any thought for the consequences."

Surrey Comet:

Prisons minister Andrew Selous said: “We take our duty of care to prisoners extremely seriously. Staff provide support to prisoners at risk of self-harm and suicide every day, and work closely with health providers to ensure that prisoners receive appropriate healthcare.

"All deaths in custody are fully investigated by the independent Prisons and Probation Ombudsman and subject to a Coroner's inquest."

There were 23,291 cases of self-harm in male prisoners in the UK between September 2014 and 2015, and 18,134 male assault incidents in the same period.