A fundraising campaign has been launched to support the family of a Whitemoor prison officer who was left “permanently disfigured” by an inmate.

The officer was left seriously injured after his ear lobe was bitten off by Nathan Deacon following a row over a dressing gown in 2020.

The GoFundMe campaign was launched this week in a bid to support the prison officer’s family who continue to visit him at a specialist hospital.

The campaign said "each side" of the family are travelling 110 miles daily to visit the prison officer who continues to undergo rehabilitation for his injuries.

The organiser said: “As a result from being assaulted, he has spent almost 3.5 weeks in intensive care following from surgery due to a bleed on his brain.

“He has several months of extensive rehabilitation ahead and at least another couple of months in hospital before he can come home.

“He’s receiving daily visits from both sides of his family and whilst they’ve obviously not complained about costs, I’m aware this is becoming costly for them with daily train tickets and fuel.”

They added: “It would be so nice if we would raise some money for his family to take off some of the financial strain they’re going to soon be baring.”

The GoFundMe page said several staff across Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service will be taking part in a 3 Peaks challenge to raise additional funds for the officer and his family.

Yesterday (April 8) at Cambridge Crown Court Deacon pleaded guilty to assault causing grievous bodily harm without intent.

He was ordered to serve an additional three years in prison at the end of his current sentence.

DC Emma Purser said: “This was a vicious attack that has left the victim permanently disfigured.

“The prison officer was simply doing his job by trying to enforce the rules of the prison. To attack him in this way is completely unacceptable.”

The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment.