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Swaleside Prison: Inmates take over part of jail | Swaleside Prison: Inmates take over part of jail |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Prisoners have taken control of part of a wing at a prison in Kent with between 60 and 80 inmates involved. | Prisoners have taken control of part of a wing at a prison in Kent with between 60 and 80 inmates involved. |
The Prison Officers Association (POA) said there was an "ongoing disturbance" at the category B training prison HMP Swaleside on the Isle of Sheppey. | |
The Prison Service said it was dealing with "an incident" contained to a landing on the jail's A Wing. | The Prison Service said it was dealing with "an incident" contained to a landing on the jail's A Wing. |
POA chairman Mike Rolfe said the extent of the disturbance was unclear but fires had been lit. | POA chairman Mike Rolfe said the extent of the disturbance was unclear but fires had been lit. |
A Prison Service spokesperson said: "The Prison Service is dealing with an incident involving 60 prisoners at HMP Swaleside. | A Prison Service spokesperson said: "The Prison Service is dealing with an incident involving 60 prisoners at HMP Swaleside. |
"The incident is contained to one landing on A Wing. The rest of the prison is secure with all prisoners in locked in cells." | "The incident is contained to one landing on A Wing. The rest of the prison is secure with all prisoners in locked in cells." |
Live: Kent prison disturbance latest updates | Live: Kent prison disturbance latest updates |
The BBC's Home Affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the disturbance had now been contained but prisoners were refusing to go back into their cells. | The BBC's Home Affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the disturbance had now been contained but prisoners were refusing to go back into their cells. |
He said at least 60 and possibly as many as 80 inmates were involved. | He said at least 60 and possibly as many as 80 inmates were involved. |
Specially trained guards known as "Tornado" squads have been deployed to Swaleside, the Prison Service said. | |
The squads were also used to quell a riot last week when inmates rioted for more than 12 hours at Birmingham prison. | |
Prisoners set fires, stole keys to residential areas from a guard and one inmate was seriously injured. | Prisoners set fires, stole keys to residential areas from a guard and one inmate was seriously injured. |
Up to 240 prisoners were moved following the riot, but the Ministry of Justice has not commented on whether any were shipped to Swaleside. | |
The prison has a capacity of about 1,100 inmates serving terms of more than four years. | |
The category B facility gives inmates access to education and training. | |
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 classed as serious. | |
Latest unrest in England's prisons | Latest unrest in England's prisons |