Ian Watkins, the disgraced former frontman of Welsh rock band Lostprophets who was serving a 35-year jail sentence for child sex offences, has been killed in prison by another inmate, according to British media reports.

Watkins, 48, was serving his sentence at Wakefield Prison in northern England.

"At 9.39am this morning [Saturday], police were called by staff at HMP Wakefield reporting an assault on a prisoner," West Yorkshire Police said in a statement.

"Emergency services attended and the man was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later."

The statement did not name Watkins.

Police did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Watkins was convicted in 2013 after pleading guilty to 13 charges .

He had admitted two attempted rapes, sexually assaulting a chil

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