Put to work at last: Child killer Mick Philpott forced to get his first job in ten years... as a prison cleaner on £14 a week

Child-killing benefits scrounger Mick Philpott is finally being forced to get a job - as a prison cleaner.

The father-of-17, who hasn't worked for ten years, claimed tens of thousands in state hand-outs before being jailed last week for burning six of his children to death.

Now he faces having to mop floors at notorious high-security Wakefield Prison for just £14 a week, it was reported by The Sun.

He will be punished if he refuses.


A source told the paper: 'He is used to getting his women and kids to do all the work for him — but he won’t just be able to lean on the mop for half an hour and say he’s done.

'Officers will inspect his handiwork and report to the governor. The same goes for the cleanliness of his cell.'

His £14 wage can be spent on cigarettes and sweets, but this will be axed if he doesn't pull his weight.

Philpott, 56, has not done a proper day's work since 2003 and has not held a full-time job since 1991.

Instead, he claimed the equivalent of a £100,000 salary in benefits for the 11 children in his custody and the wages from wife, Mairead, and live-in lover, Lisa Willis, which he forced them to pay into his bank account.

He was jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years for killing children Duwayne, 13, Jade, ten, John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six, and Jayden, five. Mairead, and best friend Paul Mosley were also jailed for 17 years for manslaughter.

Philpott will be put to work once he is off suicide watch at Wakefield - also known as Monster Mansions - where some of Britain's most dangerous criminals are held.


But it is possible he will never have to take up the cleaning job as he may need to be locked up in solitary confinement for his entire life sentence to protect him from attacks, it was reported in The Daily Star.

Prison bosses fear it will never be safe for him to mingle with other inmates after reportedly learning of two separate plots to target him just days into his term.




Not for the faint-hearted: Philpott will be made to scrub his wing at notorious Wakefield Prison (pictured) where some of Britain's most dangerous criminals are held





Hate figure: Philpott may have to locked up in solitary confinement at Wakefield Prison for his entire life sentence over fears he will forever be the target of attacks by other inmates






Neighbours from hell: Other inmates being held at Wakefield include 'Britain's most-violent prisoner' Charles Bronson (left) and child killer Levi Bellfield (right)


One of those has apparently come from a group of gypsies who gave him £3,000 thinking his children were victims of a mystery arsonist.

He is currently being housed in a Perspex-fronted cell and prison bosses do not see 'any immediate prospect' of him being transferred to a normal wing.

Guards can monitor him 24 hours a day and he will wear special clothes that cannot be torn into strips to make a noose.

Keeping him in isolation would double the cost of housing a prisoner on an ordinary unit from £600,000 to £1.2million.

A source told the Daily Star: 'While he is in the plastic-fronted cell, he is as safe as any prisoner in the country. But threats are already coming in.'



Victims and killer: Philpott was jailed for killing children Duwayne, 13, Jade, ten, John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six, and Jayden, five. His wife, Mairead, and friend Paul Mosley were also jailed for 17 years for manslaughter





Horrific reminder: The scorched home where the Philpott children died will now be bulldozed in an attempt to help the community move on from the tragedy

It is thought Philpott will eventually be placed in the segregation area away from the main prison population.

But the unit is still home to Britain’s most violent inmate, 60-year-old Charles Bronson, who has moved prisons 120 times due to his long record of attacks on staff and other prisoners.

The West Yorkshire jail is also home to child murderers Levi Bellfield, 44, and Robert Black, 65.


It is where Soham murderer Ian Huntley, 39, was attacked and where serial killer Dr Harold Shipman, 57, hanged himself.

Philpott will exercise alone, supervised by three guards so he cannot be attacked en route to the yard or gym. He will eat all his meals in his cell, and everything he does will be recorded in a log.

A source said: 'Philpott is going to be looking over his shoulder for the next 15 years.'



Sickening behaviour: CCTV captures trilby-wearing Mick Philpott taking the microphone to perform karaoke just days after killing six of his children in the blaze





Despicable betrayal: Philpott and his wife Mairead put on a tearful performance at a press conference appealing for information about the fire knowing full well it was them who killed the children

Philpott masterminded the botched attempt to frame Miss Willis, who had moved out of their family home in Allenton, Derby, earlier in the year with her five children, taking with her the £1,000 a month they were worth in benefit payments.

The scorched home where the Philpott children died will now be bulldozed in an attempt to help the community move on from the tragedy.

Yesterday, CCTV footage emerged of the moment Philpott was seen drunk and swaying in a T-shirt and trilby, while performing karaoke at a pub party just days after the blaze.


Locals watched in disgust as he downed shots, embraced his wife Mairead and took centre stage to sing Elvis Presley’s hit Suspicious Minds.

The bizarre behaviour in the wake of the deaths prompted witnesses to call the police, who arrested the couple just nine hours later.

On May 26 last year, just 15 days after the fatal fire, Philpott and his wife went to the Navigation Inn in Derby, located across the road from the conference centre where they sobbed for the cameras days earlier at a now infamous press conference.

They arrived at about 4.30pm and were seen drinking vodka, gin, rum and Jack Daniel’s before Philpott, clearly revelling in the attention, got up to the microphone.

He sang the 1975 Elvis classic Suspicious Minds, with the line: ‘We’re caught in a trap, I can’t walk out, because I love you too much baby.’

A number of people who had seen the performance were so stunned they called the police to report them acting suspiciously.

Staff at the pub then handed the CCTV footage to officers.