New private jailhouse rocked by prisoner riot

Published on Wednesday 11 February 2009 00:05

FIVE prisoners will be reported to the procurator-fiscal after a disturbance in Scotland's newest jail, police said yesterday.

Inmates went on the rampage on Monday night in privately run Addiewell Prison in West Lothian.

About a dozen prisoners made barricades with televisions, tables and a pool table, and a fire was started in a cell during the three-hour disturbance.

The Scottish Prison Service and Kalyx, the company that runs the prison, are investigating.

There were about 40 prisoners in the area when disturbance began in a recreational hall in Douglas Wing.

Prison bosses said it was started by one inmate over a "personal matter" but gave no more details. Five inmates were placed in a segregation block following the disturbance.

Police, the fire service and ambulance were called to the jail near Livingston at about 8pm.

The disturbance continued for several hours until prison staff negotiated an end to the trouble at around 11pm.

No-one was injured and no prisoners escaped.