Archer 'facing immediate suicide watch'

‘‘He will be watched very carefully to see how he takes to his sentence, simply because of how far he has fallen,’’ said Mr Leech, an ex-con who served 14 years for robbery.

He warned Archer to ‘‘watch his back’’ as some inmates would try to befriend him in the hope they could take advantage of his wealth.

‘‘Archer probably thought he has met some sophisticated people up till now.

‘‘But they are nowhere near as sophisticated and devious as those he will meet in a high-security prison like Belmarsh,’’ said Mr Leech.

‘‘The threat of violence will never be far away but I don’t think it will break out on to the surface.

‘‘People will try to exploit him in other ways. Cameras will be smuggled into the jail to get photos of him inside.’’

It would be up to Archer himself to ask to be segregated from the rest of the inmates if he felt his safety was at risk, said Mr Leech.

‘‘I don’t think he’s done anything that other prisoners would baulk at. But if there’s a suggestion he could be a focus for unrest the governor may agree to put him under protection.’’

This would involve Archer moving off the general wings and into seclusion units alongside other unpopular prisoners such as paedophiles and corrupt police.

A senior lawyer said tonight it was rare at present for prisoners to get parole at half time, and so Archer could serve two thirds of his sentence - 32 months.

In jail he is likely to be offered a choice of two coloured track suit uniforms maroon or blue.

Tonight the Belmarsh canteen menu offered the new inmate a roast dinner followed by rice pudding and jam or yoghurt and fruit.

A reception interview will take place on arrival, partly to assess his state of mind, said a Prison Service spokeswoman.

He will have to work as a cleaner, a helper in the education workshops or as an assistant in the prison library which boasts several of his own novels among its collection.

Archer - dubbed by court wits as First Among Egos - appeared to be totally unprepared for conviction.

Most defendants awaiting a jury’s verdict bring an overnight bag containing a change of clothes and a few personal items in the event of not returning home.

But there was no sign Archer had anything other than what he stood up in an immaculately tailored suit.

If this was the case he will now have to buy toiletries and other supplies from the prison shop, using his weekly earnings of £10.

The peer was driven off from the Old Bailey in a prison van, with at least two other prisoners in the vehicle.

It was one of two vans which left in convoy heading for Belmarsh prison.

Prisoners who had been at court today included a drug dealer jailed for life for stabbing a man, a man accused of molesting children and a man being tried for murder.

Mr Leech added that Archer should be treated the same as any other prisoner.

‘‘It’s always sad when a prominent politician of previously good character falls from grace but it is important in terms of control inside our prisons that Archer is seen to be treated like any other prisoner serving a four-year sentence.

‘‘I have seen examples where prominent people who become prisoners are treated far differently from others in the same position and that breeds resentment and rebellion.

‘‘To survive in prison Lord Archer needs to stay away from those who will see him as an easy touch, avoid drug users and listen to what prison staff tell him.’’