Ian Huntley regains prison privileges, including Xbox, after two-month downgrade

Soham child murderer Ian Huntley has had his prison privileges restored two months after they were downgraded for an incident in which he appeared to taunt the families of his victims by wearing a red Manchester United‑style shirt, The Sun reported.

The garment, which Huntley reportedly ordered from Sports Direct and wore as a stand‑in for a football kit, carried a white number 10 on the back—the age of his victims—though it was not an actual team jersey, according to the report.

Prison officials initially downgraded Huntley’s regime after the incident in July, when guards stormed his cell at HMP Frankland in Durham following backlash over claims he had been strutting around in the shirt. The downgrade moved him from an enhanced regime—characterized by added privileges—to a standard regime. Now, two months later, his full privileges have been restored, including access to Xbox, more money to spend in the canteen, and longer visits, The Sun said.

A source told The Sun that Huntley is “happy as Larry again,” even as some staff and inmates view the move as a mockery of the incentives scheme. The decision has drawn criticism from opponents who say it sends the wrong message about accountability for crimes against children. Framed pictures of Huntley with his former girlfriend Maxine Carr—who helped him cover his tracks by providing a false alibi—and other items, including DVDs, were reportedly seized during the inquiry into the shirt incident.

The case involving Ian Huntley remains among the most notorious in post‑2000 Britain. Huntley, now 45, was convicted in 2005 of murdering Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, two 10‑year‑olds, at their Soham, Cambridgeshire home in August 2002. The bodies were found 13 days later in a ditch near RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. Carr was jailed for 42 months for helping to pervert the course of justice and was released in 2004 under a new identity.

Huntley has never fully revealed what happened inside the Soham home, but in court he claimed both girls died accidentally. In 2018, he admitted that he deliberately killed Jessica to stop her from raising the alarm, while continuing to maintain that Holly’s death was accidental. He was sentenced to two life terms with a minimum term of 40 years. He has repeatedly given interviews and participated in search efforts during the investigation.

The Prison Service was approached for comment on the restoration of Huntley’s privileges.