With demolition currently underway at a former south Essexprison, The Echo has obtained photos of the inside taken by urban explorers who gained access to the site.

HM Prison Bullwood Hall, in Hockley, has been empty since it closed in 2013 and is currently being demolished ahead of the construction of 60 luxury homes on the site.

Wildboyz Urban Exploration, a group committed to exploring abandoned buildings across the country, gained access to the prison in April last year, exploring the grounds and photographing their findings.

The prison was built in the 1960s to service as a female borstal – a type of youth detention centre sometimes known as a ‘borstal school’ – on the grounds of Bullwood Hall and its 48.2 acre estate which was purchased by the Prison Commissioners in 1955.

In later years, the facility was extended to hold adult female prisoners.

All in all, the prison had a maximum capacity of two hundred and thirty-four.

By the end of 2006 a decision was made to move all female prisoners to alternative sites and change the facility into a prison targeted specifically at housing foreign national prisoners.

The site has remained empty since it was closed in 2013, which has brought issues in itself.

The prison has since played host to squatters, vandals and drug users, as well as being plagued by trespassers.

In June last year, teenagers were told to keep out of the “dark” and “dangerous” former prison.

Police took to Facebook to warn trespassers at the former Bullwood Hall site that “no-one will hear your calls for help” if they get into trouble.

Plans for an illegal rave in the prison were shut down by police after they were were widely circulated on Facebook.

The Wildboyz gained access to the site through a hole in the fence which had previously been used to enter the site, and although the main building was tightly locked, they managed to gain access to a number of the wings.

One of the group said: “Although we’d heard that Bullwood Hall prison was sealed up tight we decided to try our luck and pay the place a quick visit.

“After all, there’s something particularly enticing about breaking into a prison.

“All in all, then, the prison was fairly photogenic, but the load of graffiti scrawled over the place spoiled it a bit.

“It kind of reminded us of an Aussie explore – which tend to be absolutely caked in graffiti. Nevertheless, it’s always cool to have free roam of a prison for a couple of hours.”

Previously, police said: “If anyone gets hurt, the police and other emergency services may have a hard time finding them and that’s if anyone even knows. A mobile phone signal is sporadic at best and no one will hear calls for help outside the walls due to its very remote location. This is a very scary place when it’s dark.

“Please warn your children that this site is another no-go area and that police will take robust action with anyone found on site.”

All pictures are courtesy of Wildboyz Urban Exploration.

To see more of the groups work, visit www.wildboyz-ue.com/