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| Swaleside prison: Sixty inmates take control of wing and light fires | Swaleside prison: Sixty inmates take control of wing and light fires |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Dozens of inmates have taken control of a wing at HMP Swaleside. | Dozens of inmates have taken control of a wing at HMP Swaleside. |
| Prisoners have taken control of a landing on a wing at the Category B prison on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. | Prisoners have taken control of a landing on a wing at the Category B prison on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. |
| "We are not sure how bad it is yet but we understand 60 prisoners have taken control of 'A' wing there," the Prison Officers Association (POA) chairman Mike Rolfe said. | "We are not sure how bad it is yet but we understand 60 prisoners have taken control of 'A' wing there," the Prison Officers Association (POA) chairman Mike Rolfe said. |
| He added that "some fires have been lit". | He added that "some fires have been lit". |
| Specially trained guards known as "Tornado" squads have been deployed to Swaleside, the Prison Service said. | Specially trained guards known as "Tornado" squads have been deployed to Swaleside, the Prison Service said. |
| It said the incident has been contained to a landing on a single wing and the rest of the prison is secure. | It said the incident has been contained to a landing on a single wing and the rest of the prison is secure. |
| Alex Cavendish, a former prisoner and prison affairs academic, tweeted to say at least nine prisoners from HMP Birmingham, where hundreds of prisoners rioted last week, were transferred to Swaleside over the last few days. | |
| It comes after up to six hundred prisoners took over four wings of Birmingham prison last week. Experts described the takeover as the worst disorder of its kind since the 1990 Strangeways riot in Manchester. | |
| HMP Swaleside has a capacity of around 1,100 inmates serving prison terms of more than four years. It has eight wings comprised of single cells. | HMP Swaleside has a capacity of around 1,100 inmates serving prison terms of more than four years. It has eight wings comprised of single cells. |
| An HM Inspectorate of Prisons report in July described the prison as "dangerous" and found levels of violence were "far too high", with many of the incidents serious. | An HM Inspectorate of Prisons report in July described the prison as "dangerous" and found levels of violence were "far too high", with many of the incidents serious. |
| A survey found 69 per cent of inmates had felt unsafe at some point - a result which was significantly higher than at similar facilities. | A survey found 69 per cent of inmates had felt unsafe at some point - a result which was significantly higher than at similar facilities. |
| More than half (52 per cent) of prisoners polled said it was easy or very easy to get drugs at the prison, while 45 per cent said the same about alcohol. | More than half (52 per cent) of prisoners polled said it was easy or very easy to get drugs at the prison, while 45 per cent said the same about alcohol. |
| HM Inspectorate of Prisons also said the use of force was high, while the segregation unit was described as "filthy". | HM Inspectorate of Prisons also said the use of force was high, while the segregation unit was described as "filthy". |