Privately run prison calls in riot police to quell violence among inmates

Published on Saturday 5 January 2008 19:28

RIOT police were called in to quell a violent disturbance at a controversial Scottish jail in which fighting broke out among inmates.

It emerged yesterday that staff at Kilmarnock Prison were forced to call for help from police public order squads after the mass brawl began on Friday night.

Around 30 prisoners are believed to have been in the jail's main hall when the violence erupted.

Three van loads of riot police were sent to assist warders at around 10.15pm at Scotland's only privately run prison.

A Strathclyde Police spokesman said: "We can confirm that we were called to Kilmarnock Prison in relation to reports of prisoners causing a disturbance in A-Hall.

"Public order police units attended the incident, which was brought to a conclusion around 11pm.

"As a result, three prisoners will be subject to a report to the Procurator Fiscal for alleged breach of the peace and vandalism."

The three inmates are believed to have subsequently been moved to another jail in Scotland.

A spokesman for the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) confirmed an incident had taken place.

He said: "Some prisoners were refusing to comply with instructions, and they carried out some damage to cell furniture and other items.

"The incident was managed locally and there were no injuries to staff or prisoners. We are aware that criminal charges now may well ensue."

Two ambulances and two fire engines were also called to the scene, but they were not needed.

Kilmarnock Prison, which houses more than 600 male inmates and is operated for the SPS by private firm Serco, has been dogged by controversy in recent years.

In 2003, the jail's then director, Nick Cameron, was punched and kicked to the ground by an inmate as he carried out a tour of the prison.

Two years later, three prison officers were removed from duty at Kilmarnock after a TV documentary made allegations of a "catalogue of neglect".

An undercover BBC reporter, who spent four months working at the penal institute, claimed to have filmed officers falsifying paperwork to show suicide watches had been undertaken when they had not, despite the prison's record of six suicides in five years.

The programme claimed that the jail was understaffed and that after just 10 weeks' training, the journalist was left alone with 80 prisoners.

Last year, prison officer Ann Hinshelwood claimed she had witnessed a colleague challenge an inmate to a fight and was told to cover up the incident.

The officer also claimed she had suffered from stress and depression after being caught in the middle of a riot.