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The decaying remains of an abandoned male prison that once housed Fred West and is said to have more than 100 criminals buried in its grounds have  been revealed in an urban explorer's pictures. 

HMP Gloucester was a Category B men's prison with space for 323 inmates when it shut for good in 2013, six years after elements of the prison were described as 'woeful' in a government report.

It originally opened in 1792 and carried out 123 hangings, the last taking place in 1939, for a range of offences including sheep stealing, horse theft and burglary - but only one for murder.

The offenders are thought to have been buried in unmarked groves within the prison's three and a half acres of grounds, which are situated in Gloucester city centre.

Since it shut it has been used as a Hollywood filming location, a ghost hunting spot and there are hopes its pristine chapel could be used as a wedding venue. 

The 18th century prison nw hosts ghost tours, a 'real time Zombie scare experience,' and has been used for filming in Hollywood films including The Informer, which came out last year

HMP Gloucester had a capacity of 323 men before it shut in 2013. The prison, which once housed Fred West, is thought to have more than 100 ex-criminals buried within its grounds

Paint is peeling from the old cells' walls, with mould growing over them, but bedframes and an old Page 3 cut out show signs of the life that once filled the prison, before it closed in 2013

Incredible pictures have showed the state of decay at the sprawling prison, with mould growing and paint peeling from empty cells. 

Eerie images showed decrepit corridors, a surprisingly pristine chapel and inside abandoned cells, one of which features a nude Page 3 model on a decaying wall, with her face and body ripped out. 

The prison was home to serial killer Fred West after he was charged with two murders including that of his daughter in February 1994. 

Fred West killed at least 12 people with his wife Rosemary between 1967 and 1987. 

The murderer resided at HMP Gloucester in 1994 following his arrest, and was later transferred to Winson Green Prison in Birmingham, UK, where he hung himself just a year later.  

The unsettling images were captured by an anonymous British urban explorer known only as Punkitect, who used a Canon EOS 6D with a 16-35mm lens. 

'The atmosphere felt cold, and sad, but not hostile. It was knowing that this tiny cell had housed the worst of society every single night for hundreds of years that made it all the more chilling,' said Punkitect.

'I've spent my life chasing dark tourism, treading where some of the evilest minds of humanity have trodden. 

'As horrible as the prison environment was, it was still too good for someone who committed the acts that he [Fred West] did.

'There is a shift to moving prisons more towards the countryside, but the age of this jail has meant that Gloucester has grown up around it. 

'Being sat in a cell and hearing people commute to work and the faint buzz of people relaxing in the bars and cafes at the docks only emphasises the feeling of having one's freedom taken away.

'The building has been a part of the city's history for centuries, a landmark that everyone is aware of, but very few have seen inside. 

Located in the city centre, inmates at Gloucester prison would have been able to hear the sound of the public going about the daily lives from their cells 

HMP Gloucester's chapel has been used as a music venue, but bosses at the abandoned prison hope it could be used as a wedding venue

The prison was closed in 2013, six years after elements of the prison were branded 'woeful,' in an official government report

Since 2017 parts of the prison have been reopened to the public for tours, ghost hunts and other events. Urban explorer Punkitect described its atmosphere as 'cold and sad'

The empty prison's eerie atmosphere and three-acres of land make it a prime location for filming, which it has been offering in recent years  

Fred West was briefly kept at HMP Gloucester after he was charged with two murders 

'I think it is fantastic that [before the pandemic] the building was being used to host events.' 

The prison was opened up for tours in 2017 and 2018, but has since been used for a host of activities. 

Its history has made it a prime spot for ghost tours, while it has also been made available for filming. 

According to www.gloucester-prison.co.uk, the abandoned jail has featured in Hollywood films, including The Informer, starring Clive Owen and Rosamund Pike, which was released last year.

The prison chapel has been used as a music venue, with a statement on gloucester-prison.co.uk reading: 'We are hoping that someone who wants a unique day will ask about hiring it for their wedding.' 

It has also been used for filming documentaries, TV series and music videos. 

Members of the public are also able to take part in a 'real time zombie experience,' and Airsoft games, but is has also been used as a venue for film screenings, conferences and fashion walks. 

An insignia on the prison's floor denotes its 200th anniversary, which celebrated in 1992 after two centuries of housing criminals in Gloucester city centre

There are still signs of the old life of HMP Gloucester, a Page 3 model lines one of the mould-spotted walls, but her face and stomach appear to have been ton out of the image

Eerie images showed decrepit corridors, a surprisingly pristine chapel and inside some of the prison's now-abandoned cells

The abandoned prison housed thousands of inmates in its 221 year history, including notorious serial killer Fred West