Riot police called to disturbance at South Yorkshire prison

Riot police were sent to a South Yorkshire prison overnight to deal with a disturbance involving inmates.
Moorland prisonMoorland prison
Moorland prison

One prisoner was injured in the incident on a one wing of HMP Moorland in Doncaster, according to the Prison Service.

A Prison Service spokeswoman said no staff were hurt and the injured prisoner did not require hospital treatment during the trouble that started on Sunday evening and was brought under control by around 1.30am today.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She said: "Specially trained staff have successfully resolved an isolated incident involving a small number of prisoners on one wing at HMP Moorland.

"We are absolutely clear that prisoners who behave in this way will be punished and could spend significantly longer behind bars."

The Category C prison holds around 1,000 inmates and an inspection by HM Inspectorate of Prisons found 'levels of violence were high' earlier this year.

There had been 77 assaults on prisoners, 70 fights and 27 assaults on staff in the six months prior to the inspection.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Last night's trouble came two weeks after 200 inmates at Bedford Prison were involved in a riot.

And last week prison officers were ordered by a judge to abandon a planned strike over an increase in violence in jails across the country.

Prison officers claim the system is in 'meltdown'.

In 2010 more than 160 inmates were moved out of Moorland prison to other jails after three nights of rioting in which three members of staff at the prison were assaulted and a female officer sustained a fractured jaw.

There were disturbances in the adult section of the prison and an adjacent young offenders' unit.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Prisoners armed themselves with table legs and threw pool balls at officers during a three-day riot at a prison.

A pool table was set on fire, furniture was thrown from landings and fuse boxes were smashed.

It cost £641,500 to repair the damage caused.

Fifteen inmates were jailed for their part in the disorder.