A British father has been left to rot in a Bolivian jail which has no guards and sex offenders are electrocuted in shallow pools.

The family of the backpacker who is stuck in the ‘world’s toughest’ prison due to ‘false’ drug trafficking charges are desperately fund-raising as he has to pay for his own cell.

John Henshaw, from Atherton, Greater Manchester, was travelling in South America when he was reportedly arrested on a drug trafficking charge for the alleged possession of a ‘tiny’ amount of cannabis at La Paz International Airport in Bolivia on February 9. 

The 39-year-old is incarcerated in San Pedro prison in La Paz, Bolivia – featured on the TV show Behind Bars: The World’s Toughest Prisons – and he has to sleep on the floor until he has the funds for a bed.

His worried daughter and ex-partner say he has no access to clean water, clean clothes or a consistent source of food.

John Henshaw, from Atherton, Greater Manchester, was travelling in South America when he was reportedly arrested on a drug trafficking charge for the alleged possession of a ‘tiny’ amount of cannabis at La Paz International Airport in Bolivia on February 9

Pictured is John Henshaw, 39, with his daughter Kaitlyn, who is now 15

San Pedro is notoriously almost entirely ran by the prisoners themselves and is merely guarded by police, whose job is to keep the prisoners in, rather than regulate the activities of the prisoners inside.

READ MORE – Growing up in a prison filled with drug lords: The brutal Bolivian jail where families live alongside their criminal relatives

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John has told his family that he is sleeping on the floor nightly, surrounded by up to 30 other prisoners and is forced to share two toilets with around 120 inmates.

Cases can reportedly take up to 90 days to be assessed and processed in order for a full decision to be made – and the father has already been imprisoned for 50 days.

The prison had an original capacity of 600, but reportedly now holds around 3,000 prisoners, who are each required to buy their own cells from their fellow prisoners.

There are ‘suites’ that ‘higher ranking’ prisoners own, which have beds, access to wifi, and reportedly even jacuzzis.

John has told his loved ones that he has struggled with various illnesses and weight loss since being inside, including ear infections due to the insects which infest the prison, forcing him to sleep with tissue in his ears.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help John with his legal costs and to provide any essentials which can be brought to him in prison, which has raised almost £3,000.

John’s ex-partner Toni Rimmer and his 15-year-old daughter Kaitlyn Henshaw are both concerned about the conditions he is living in and just want him home.

The 39-year-old is incarcerated in San Pedro prison in La Paz, Bolivia – featured on the TV show Behind Bars: The World’s Toughest Prisons – and he has to sleep on the floor

Lewis Powell (pictured)  is a friend of John’s who has managed to speak to him briefly after he was able to get hold of a phone at one point

A GoFundMe has been set up to help John (pictured with daughter Kaitlyn) with his legal costs and to provide any essentials which can be brought to him in prison

John’s ex-partner Toni Rimmer and his 15-year-old daughter Kaitlyn Henshaw (pictured) are both concerned about the conditions he is living in and just want him home

A GoFundMe has been set up to try raise money for John to ‘pay’ for a cell

Toni, who is trying to help with the legal process from the UK, said: ‘He’s a good person. It’s absolutely horrific in there.

‘He can only get money in drip feed from the embassy. The only food he has been able to buy for himself is a ham and cheese toastie. He gets a bowl of broth a day, that’s it.

‘You pay for the privilege of getting a cell, and he hasn’t even got one yet.

READ MORE – Children roam freely, drug labs operate in the open and sex offenders are electrocuted in shallow pools: Inside the hell that is one of the world’s most bizarre and dangerous prisons

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‘I’m scared because he’s a British man. He doesn’t deserve what’s happening to him in there, he’s had no previous charges.

‘It’s been nearly 50 days, I’m really worried. He doesn’t have visitors so he doesn’t have a clue what’s going on. If he’s got a load of money, he’ll just get robbed.

‘His daughter is going through exams and is so stressed – she just wants her dad home safe. He’s a really good dad and his daughter is really missing him.’

John has reportedly been in contact with lawyers in Bolivia and were waiting to confirm his final hearing, it has been claimed.

His daughter Kaitlyn said: ‘I spoke to him last Saturday – he was asking about me, UltraXtend wlan verstärker Scam I think to take his mind off where he is.

‘There’s barely anyone that speaks English there. He said it’s overrun and dirty – he has to sleep on the floor.

Laundry hangs from every rail across the prison’s courtyard where children are pictured playing away from their parents

Inmates’ children are pictured surrounding a pool inside San Pedro prison, the biggest in Bolivia’s main city, La Paz

The San Pedro jail is significantly different from most correctional facilities. Inmates buy or rent their accommodation and are free to play football (pictured) with their children

A male prisoner is pictured looking down on the children who play inside San Pedro jail 

‘I’ve sent him letters and pictures which have managed to get through, but I don’t think there are any guards on the inside.

‘It’s just been really stressful as I’m constantly worrying about how he is and on top of that I’ve got revision for my exams.