This footage from prisons in the Midlands shows the extent of organised violence being viewed as a form of bloodsport
AN epidemic of mobile phones illegally smuggled into prisons has led to a new craze - "fight clubs" involving brutal arranged bouts between inmates.
At least 15,000 mobile phones or SIM cards were confiscated in prisons last year, equivalent to one for every six inmates.
This footage from prisons in the Midlands shows the extent of organised violence being viewed as a form of bloodsport.
The rise of "fight clubs" - named after the Brad Pitt film - is down to the wide availability of handsets. Prisoners are taking footage of the fights and posting them online.
In one video two prisoners in a bathroom brawl at HMP Hewell, Redditch, with one grabbing the other in a choke-hold before punching him in the back of the neck and drawing blood with a bite to the shoulder.
The video also includes footage of a ‘fight club’-style contest at HMP Featherstone in Wolverhampton where an inmate knocks out a fellow prisoner during an illegal boxing match - while prisoners film it and cheer.
The inmate then shows no mercy, continuing to kick and punch the prisoner even after he has fallen to the floor in defeat.
The Prison Officers’ Association has previously warned that mobiles are endangering public safety by being used to run organised crime operations and order drugs from behind bars.
Spokesman Glyn Travis said: "We have seen escapes being planned with the use of mobile phones and we have seen the use of drones to drop mobile phones, drugs and other items into prisons.
"They are a means to access the outside world to breach the perimeters of prisons and thereby endanger the health and safety of staff in prisons and more importantly the public."
A Prison Service spokeswoman said: "The Prison Service does not tolerate contraband in prisons.
"It is a criminal offence to smuggle mobile phones or drugs into prisons, and we will always take action where there is evidence of misconduct."
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
