Stockwell Strangler alleged to have been moved to West Berkshire

Reassurance over security from Thornford Park

RESIDENTS have been urged to trust security at Thornford Park Hospital following reports that the notorious serial killer dubbed the Stockwell Strangler has been moved there.

Kenneth Erskine was jailed for a minimum of 40 years in 1988 after sexually molesting and killing seven pensioners in a terrifying spree.

The murder verdicts were later downgraded to manslaughter due to diminished responsibility and he was held at a high-security psychiatric unit in Broadmoor Hospital at Crowthorne in Berkshire.

But according to national media reports, Erskine has now been moved to the medium-secure facility in Thatcham.

Town and district councillor Sheila Ellison (Con, Thatcham North), who lives near Thornford Park, said: “It’s not a nice thought, but if he’s been downgraded we have to trust them I think.”

Thornford Park hit the headlines after John Maguire, a medium-risk patient, escaped from the facility in July 2014.

Mr Maguire used bedsheets to scale the 5.2-metre perimeter fence and was located at Birmingham New Street rail station four days later.

Mrs Ellison added: “They did change their security system – now they have got cameras all the way round.

“I suppose these people have got to go somewhere. I don’t like the thought of it but, if that’s the case, I hope they are under high security.

“We have just got to trust them to treat people as best they can and keep them secure.”

Chairman of the Thornford Park Liason Group, Mike Bloomfield, said he would not expect the Priory Group which runs the facility to comment on individual patient’s arrival but added: “It’s a medium-risk psychiatric hospital and some of the patients will have come from high-risk establishments like Broadmoor.

“It shouldn’t be startling news but something that’s useful to remember the nature of the establishment that we have on our doorstep.

“Given the fact that just two years ago someone did escape from this medium secure establishment, it’s all the more reason to be concerned about the people who are there and to work with the hospital to make sure the security is as good as it can be.

“Hearing stories like this is a reminder to the local community that we want to be interested in what is going on there and we want to be very interested and work with the hospital to make sure it’s as robust as possible.”

The liaison group was established to form closer links with the hospital.

The Priory Group would not confirm that Erskine was at the facility this week, saying it was unable to comment on individuals because of patient confidentiality.

A spokesman said: “However, we take the safety of all of our patients and the wider community extremely seriously and continuously review our procedures to ensure the hospital is fully secure.

“We have taken additional safety measures since 2014 to further increase security.”

This isn’t the first time that Thornford Park has been associated with notorious murderers.

Last year reports circulated that the Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, who was convicted of killing 13 women between 1975 and 1980, had requested to be moved to Thornford Park from Broadmoor.

Thornford Park and Broadmoor both refused to comment at the time.