UK deportation centre used force 18 times to stop self-harm last year, figures show

Exclusive: Brook House staff physically prevented asylum seekers awaiting deportation from taking own lives

Asylum seekers awaiting deportation at a detention centre were physically prevented from taking their own lives or self-harming on 18 occasions last year, detailed official accounts show.

Staff at Brook House immigration removal centre near Gatwick airport used physical force to prevent suicide and self-harm attempts, according to documents released under freedom of information laws.