THE twisted killer of schoolgirl Sarah Payne has been stabbed in the EYE while in prison.

Roy Whiting was attacked yesterday by a fellow inmate who used a makeshift knife to target the paedophile. Evil Whiting, 52, who's serving a life sentence for the murder of eight-year-old Sarah, screamed in agony as the weapon was plunged into his eye-socket.

The "knife" was reportedly fashioned from a toilet brush handle whittled into a point. The attack happened shortly after Wakefield Prison's inmates were released from their cells in the morning.

Nearby officers quickly grabbed the attacker, who is believed to be a double murderer serving life after killing again when he was released early. A source said: "The man walked up to Whiting and plunged the sharpened handle into his face.

"Staff reacted quickly and Whiting was very lucky they were there otherwise it could have been far worse." Whiting, who was also attacked with a blade in 2002, was taken to the healthcare wing of the maximum security jail and later told he would not lose his sight.

He was transferred to a specialist hospital where he was spotted with severe bruising. Whiting was jailed for life in 2002 for Sarah's murder, a crime that shocked Britain.

A Prison Service spokesman praised his staff's handling of this latest incident, which police are believed to be investigating.