Disgraced former celebrity publicist Max Clifford, 74, has died in hospital after collapsing at Littlehey Prison in Cambridgeshire, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Justice has said.
It comes after Clifford’s daughter, Louise, 46, told the Mail on Sunday that he first collapsed in his cell on Thursday when he was trying to clean it.
“It was just too much,” she said.
“Next day he collapsed again and was unconscious for several minutes – though he doesn’t know how long.
“He was seen by a nurse, who insisted he must be transferred to a local hospital.
“That’s where he had his cardiac arrest, later on Friday. He is now in the critical care unit. He’s in a bad way.”
A Prison Service spokesperson said: “The safety and welfare of people in our custody is our top priority and we take our duty of care extremely seriously.
“All prisoners have access to a GP and the same level of NHS services as those in the community. A doctor’s advice is always sought when deciding how best to meet individual healthcare needs, while ensuring the public is protected.”
Clifford was serving an eight-year sentence at Littlehey Prison in Cambridgeshire for sex attacks carried out between 1977 and 1985.
He abused four girls aged between 15 and 19 — but planned to appeal his convictions next year.
Clifford was cleared of a further count of indecent assault on a teenage girl at his Mayfair offices in the 1980s at Southwark Crown Court last July.
Clifford was a well-known and connected figure in the showbiz world, representing clients including Freddie Starr, Simon Cowell and Jade Goody.