What was the HMP Bedford prison riot about, how many inmates were involved and was anyone hurt?
Staff shortages, drugs, overcrowding and bullying a problem at Cat B jail which holds 500 inmates
A TOP level Prison Service investigation is underway after a riot at troubled Bedford jail saw around 230 inmates go on the rampage.
The disturbance was “successfully resolved” late on Sunday night after guards and police riot officers spent more than six hours trying to bring the disorder under control.
Scores of prisoners flooded the jail’s gangways in chaotic scenes after the disturbance broke out shortly after 5pm.
The riot spread over more than one wing inside the prison.
Footage posted online revealed chaotic scenes with scores of prisoners shouting and screaming in walkways and gangways.
The Prison Officers Association (POA) said about 230 inmates got out of their cells and seized keys, broke into medicine stores and started small fires.
The Prison Service said the situation was brought under control after an operation that lasted more than six hours.
On Friday the justice ministry announced the creation of 2,500 new jobs as part of its broader prison reform.
The government also promised annual investment of more than £100 million ($125 million, 112 million euros) and greater efforts to tackle drugs in prisons.
What sparked the weekend riot?
HMP Bedford, which has been on its current site since 1801, currently holds around 500 inmates, according to an HM Inspectorate of Prisons report in September.
The watchdog’s report found inmates claimed it was easier to get drugs than clothes or bedsheets at a prison where standards had deteriorated to “unacceptable levels”.
The weekend's chaos reportedly broke out in response to staff shortages at the prison and overcrowding, with prisoners ripping up toilets and causing mass damage.
Other reports claim it was sparkled after a clash between an officer and a young inmate.
How was it finally resolved?
The riot was brought to a quick end when guards stormed the jail with stun grenades, it's been claimed by those at the scene.
The police, the fire service and paramedics were also said to be involved in an operation which lasted more than six hours
Was anybody hurt in the chaos?
Amazingly, despite hours of rampaging by weapon-wielding inmates, the authorities insist there were no injuries to prison staff.
Guards told how they were forced to retreat to a “safe place” while large numbers of prisoners ran amok
Two inmates were later treated for injuries that were not reported to be serious.
What will happen to those involved?
The authorities said all those proven to have been actively involved in the jail riot will now be punished severely. For most, that will mean extra time behind bars.
Others could be moved to different and more secure institutions.
A Prison Service spokesman said: "We are absolutely clear that prisoners who behave in this way will be punished and could spend significantly longer behind bars."
How bad are the problems at HMP Bedford?
A survey found the number of prisoners saying it was easy or very easy to get drugs had almost doubled since the last inspection of the jail in February 2014.
The number saying they had developed a drug problem while at the prison increased from 4% to 14%.
The HMP inspection in May also found that the physical condition of the prison was poor, with many inmates living in cramped conditions.
The report detailed damaged furniture, graffiti, shortages of clothing and dirty, unscreened showers.
The report also said: “Arrangements for managing violent and bullying behaviour and supporting victims were weak."
How common are prison riots in the UK?
The riot in HMP Bedford is the latest in a long list of violent and disruptive events inside British prisons.
Last month, at HMP Lewes a response unit had to be brought in to control the prisoners at the East Sussex jail during the incident which lasted from 10.30am to 4.30pm.
In December 2015, at HMP Leicester a group of six prisoners, being kept in a segregation unit, broke through their cell walls and congregated in one cell in a stand-off with prison guards.
In June 14, 2015, at HMP Stocken in Rutland around 60 prisoners took part as trouble flared among inmates and a number of small fires were lit. One guard and four other prisoners were taken to hospital and ten men were eventually charged with prison mutiny.
In March 8, 2015, at HMP Deerbolt an inmate at the young offenders institution, in County Durham, was left with a fractured skull after a riot broke out and inmates reportedly began throwing pool balls and lighting fires during the disturbance.
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