An evil dad who killed six children in a horrific fire at his home has been left “battered and bruised” after a beating. Mick Philpott, 68, was ambushed by another inmate armed with a metal container at HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire.

A source told The Sun: “Philpott was in a bad way after the attack – battered and bruised and with two large and noticeable lumps on the back of his head.” They said a lad pounced on him and whacked him from behind on a landing.

Philpott escaped a worse beating as prison guards rushed in to break things up, with the source saying the child killer felt “very sorry” for himself afterwards.

They said Philpott always has a target on his back because of what he did and fellow inmates were laughing about the attack.

He was “in a bad way”, but didn’t need hospital treatment, according to The Sun‘s source.

Philpott was jailed for life in April 2013 after a jury at Nottingham Crown Court convicted him on six counts of manslaughter for plotting the fire he and two others started.

His wife, Mairead, and pal Paul Mosley were sentenced to 17 years for helping him. A dad of 17 and benefits layabout, Philpott had aimed to set up a previous partner for the fire in revenge for leaving him.

He had been living at a council house in Derby with his wife and lover, who he had become obsessed with. He even boasted about getting them both pregnant in an appearance on the Jeremy Kyle show.

Philpott hatched a plot to frame his former partner for an arson attack at the family home in 2012, pouring petrol on the floor and setting light to it. But the gamble didn’t pay off as the house exploded into a huge fireball.

Firefighters and neighbours tried to rescue the children: Jayden, who was five, Jade, 10, John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six, and Duwayne, 13.

At his trial, Mrs Justice Thirlwall said the children’s deaths were “mercifully” both swift and appeared to be “without pain”. She described Philpott as “disturbingly dangerous” and with “no moral compass”.

She said Philpott didn’t mean to seriously harm the children, but he did plan to subject them to a “terrifying ordeal” which would see him wake them up with their home ablaze to rescue them so he could pretend to be the hero.

Philpott was on bail at the time of the fire for a violent road rage attack. He also had a history of violence against women. He is eligible for parole in 2027. His wife and Mr Mosley have already been released.

A Prison Service spokesperson said violence will not be tolerated in the prison estate and anyone found guilty of wrongdoing will be punished.