College bosses have launched an inquiry after the Telegraph & Argus revealed they had unwittingly employed a convicted murderer as a caretaker.

Former soldier Stuart Longstaff was freed on licence last year after serving 22 years of a life sentence for the frenzied killing of a 76-year-old Bradford man who had refused to lend him money.

Longstaff, 43, managed to get the job at Keighley College, which takes students from the age of 16, through an employment agency.

But he was recalled to prison last month after probation officers became increasingly concerned about the risks he posed to the public. Eight days ago he was found hanged in his cell at Armley jail, in Leeds.

Ian Nichol, the college's interim vice-principal of human resources, today admitted staff had no idea about Longstaff's criminal past until the T&A approached them and said a review of procedures would now take place.

He said: "We use local employment agencies for a range of short-term staffing needs.

"We rely on them to supply staff who are of good character and standing.

"Anybody that we employ through an agency is fully supervised while they are in our employment.

"We are concerned and will be reviewing our procedures in light of this."

Longstaff, who worked at the college from August last year until February, was employed through Shard Recruitment, of Cavendish Street, Keighley.

No-one at the employment agency would comment when asked by the Telegraph & Argus whether it knew of Longstaff's criminal background.

West Yorkshire Probation Service confirmed that Longstaff had been sent back to jail because of concerns about his behaviour.

Neil Maloney, chief officer for Bradford probation office, said: "Longstaff was recalled to prison for breach of his licence because the probation service felt the risk he posed to the public was increasing.

"There are two inquiries going on, one by the coroner and one by the Prison and Probation Service Ombudsman, which investigates all deaths in prison."

"We will contribute to both inquiries if asked and if there are any learning points we will take note of them."

Longstaff's wife, Mandy, 35, whom he married in Armley jail six years ago, said she blamed the lack of support by probation officers for her husband's death.

Mrs Longstaff, of Worth Avenue, Keighley, said: "I am disgusted with the probation service because with him being away for more than 20 years they did nothing to help him."

"They did not see him as much as they should have done and didn't give him enough help.

"They should have done more for him. He needed counselling and things likes speaking to somebody."

Longstaff's niece, Sharon Dance, 34, of May Street, Keighley, said she had asked the Prison Service to put her uncle on suicide watch when he was returned to jail.

She said: "He always said that if he ever went back to prison he would only last three hours.

"Let's face it, if you have been in prison for 22 years and are then sent back to prison after being released you are not going to be able to cope."

Keighley MP Anne Cryer said questions had to be asked why a recruitment agency had placed a convicted murderer in a job at a college.

She said: "But for the grace of God, no-one was hurt in this case.

"I do not think you can blame the college because it recruited from what it thought was a responsible recruitment agency. The legislation governing recruitment agencies needs to be looked at because they should not be placing offenders who could be a danger to the public in roles such as this."

Longstaff was sentenced to life imprisonment at Leeds Crown Court in 1984 for stabbing 76-year-old Joe Woodhead nine times in the chest with a bread knife, after he had savagely beaten him with a poker at the pensioner's home in Buttershaw, Bradford, in August 1983.

Mrs Longstaff met him when she was visiting family in Lindholme prison, in Doncaster. They began writing to each other and were married a year later on February 14, 2000.

She admitted she had at first kept their marriage secret from her family.

"When my dad found out he really loved Stuart and said that if he'd had someone who cared about him he wouldn't have ended up in jail," she said.

An inquest has been opened and adjourned in Leeds into Longstaff's death.