Russell Brand, the 51-year-old comedian, has reportedly been transferred from HMP Wandsworth to HMP Littlehey, a Category C prison near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, days after he was sentenced to 10 and a half years for rape and three counts of sexual assault. He had been found guilty of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others during his career, and he has always denied wrongdoing, insisting his sexual relationships were consensual.

The Standard reported that concerns for Brand's safety, and his assessment as a low escape risk, could have prompted the move. He was transferred on Friday and is reportedly held in a single-person cell on the prison's E Wing. Metro reported that authorities had also considered HMP Wakefield, but that the West Yorkshire jail was judged too dangerous for him. Littlehey houses only male sex offenders and has around 1,200 inmates, and he has not yet made contact with any of them.S1S2

Littlehey offers a range of activities, including yoga, choir, origami, indoor bowls, an astroturf football pitch, an inter-wing football league and two gyms. Retired prison governor Vanessa Frake told The Sun she was flabbergasted he had been placed in a Category C prison, noting he has no previous convictions but a substantial sentence, with possibly more to come. Metro also reported that a further eight women have since come forward with allegations of sexual abuse or predatory behaviour, and that Mia Latter has waived her anonymity to say he abused her when she was 16 and he was 30.S1S2

Brand is expected to serve two-thirds of his sentence before being released on licence. Sussex Police has said its investigation into the alleged rape remains ongoing.S1S2