Former Kray twins jail to be turned into student accommodation

Jail cells once used to house some of Britain's most notorious criminals could soon provide a home-from-home for university students.

HMP Canterbury's 205 years as a prison saw stretches for East End gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray and more recently convicted double murderer Michael Stone.

Michael Stone, convicted of killing Lin Russell and her six-year-old daughter Megan, has protested his innocence. Credit: PA

Former Pakistan cricket captain Salman Butt and South African snooker player Silvino Francisco were other notable inmates held in the Kent jail before its closure in 2013.

Salman Butt was jailed in 2011 after being implicated in a major 'spot-fixing' scandal. Credit: PA

The prison, which held a maximum 400 prisoners in its pomp, was bought by Canterbury Christ Church University a year later.

The purchase saw it inherit a complex that included three wings, a chapel, a gym and a library.

HMP Canterbury in Kent held up to 400 inmates at its peak. Credit: PA

The university confirmed at the time it would review the viability of transforming the buildings into student living quarters.

Those plans appear to have developed with the buildings adopted as part of the North Holmes Campus expected to host future undergraduates.