Maidstone prison brawl sees 70 rampaging lags in ‘nasty’ clash at prison used to shoot classic TV sitcom Porridge
Trouble reportedly flared between rival factions of foreign prisoners at the jail in Kent last month
A PRISON used to film scenes for classic TV sitcom Porridge was the scene of ‘nasty’ clashes between rival factions of lags, it has been reported.
Maidstone Prison in Kent saw some 70 prisoners involved in a disturbance on April 12, according to the Daily Star.
The trouble was reportedly sparked when four Albanian inmates attacked a Jamaican prisoner early in the morning in the print shop.
Later that day, during lunch, dozens of lags from the rival factions are said to have clashed during lunch as tensions boiled over.
Some 50 Albanians and 20 Jamaicans hurled insults at each other before clashing on the jail’s Kent wing, it is claimed.
Brave prison staff managed to intervene and calm the situation before it got out of hand, the paper reported.
A source told the Star: “It was a miracle the trouble didn’t turn into a riot.
“There have been tensions between the Albanians and Jamaicans and it got nasty.
“Inmates from different cultures stick with their own and there are frequent clashes.”
Seven inmates were reportedly taken to segregation after the trouble – two of whom were allegedly armed with deadly improvised weapons.
Maidstone – which now houses foreign prisoners, many of which are deported at the end of their sentences – was once used to shoot scenes for BBC sitcom Porridge.
The outside of the jail featured in some episodes of the 1970s comedy classic, starring Ronnie Barker.
The prison has also housed some notorious lags over the years, including East End gangster Reggie Kray and Great Train Robber Bruce Reynolds.
The Sun Online has contacted the Ministry of Justice for comment.
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