A BRUTALLY honest account of life inside Parkhurst Prison has been revealed in a new book, written by a prison officer.

David Berridge, best known on the Isle of Wight as an extreme adventurer, whose ultra-distance challenges have been documented by the County Press over the years, has now put pen to paper.

His book is in such demand, parts of it will be serialised in The Sun.

Out now, Inside Parkhurst — Stories of a Prison Officer, is available in Asda, Tesco, Waterstones, WHSmith, Amazon and The Word.

It goes into detail about assaults, riots, cell fires, suicides, weapons and medical emergencies, all of which David has encountered in his 22 years behind the great prison walls at the Isle of Wight's famous prison.

He talks of serial killers, gangsters, psychopaths and terrorists he had to deal with as they sat out their time behind bars.

Promotion for the book states: "Inside Parkhurst is his raw, uncompromising look at what really goes on behind the massive walls and menacing gates.

"Thrown in at the deep end, David quickly had to work out how to deal with the most cunning and volatile of prisoners, and learn how to avoid their many scams.

"He has been assaulted and abused; he has tackled cell fires and attempted suicides, riots and dirty protests; he has helped to foil escape plans, talked inmates down from rooftop protests, witnessed prisoners setting fire to themselves, and prevented prisoners from attempting to murder other prisoners.

"And now he takes us inside this secret world for the first time.

"With this searingly honest account he guides us around the wings, the segregation unit, the hospital and the exercise yard, and gives vivid portraits of the drug taking, the hooch making, the constant and irrepressible violence, and the extraordinary lengths our prison officers go to everyday.

"Divided into three parts — the first from David's early years on the wings, the second the middle of his career, and the third his disillusioned later years — David will take readers into the heart of life inside and shine a light on the escalating violence and the impact the government cuts are having on the wings.

"Both horrifying and hilarious, David's diaries are guaranteed to shock and entertain in equal measure."

Waterstones said: "Shocking, disturbing and yet also frequently hilarious, Berridge's no-holds-barred account of life inside HMP Parkhurst covers every aspect of prison life from violent assaults to illicit hooch making with compelling candour and humanity."