Jail riot could last through night

A stand-off between rioting inmates and authorities at a prison could last for another 12 hours, the Prison Officers Association has said.

HMP Ashwell, near Oakham, Rutland, has been cordoned off since the early hours of Saturday while specialist officers try to regain control.

But POA spokesman Glyn Travis, who has been at the site all day, said: "It's a very very scary situation and I'm sure over the next 12 hours it will become more tense."

He said he anticipated it could take until Sunday morning for authorities to retake the low-category C prison.

The Ministry of Justice said the prison was cordoned off and specialist teams sent in after an incident of "concerted indiscipline".

Pete Chapple, national executive for the POA, said around 250 inmates remained in the prison.

Around 80 prisoners are believed to have surrendered or been captured and taken away to other prisons. Throughout the day prison vans were seen coming in and out of the prison. Many leaving the site had loud banging coming from inside.

Mr Chapple said it was believed the riot started after one prisoner was deprived of privileges as a punishment for being out of his room out of hours.

He said: "On some of the units at Ashwell they have free access in and out of their rooms.

"One prisoner was out of his room out of hours. He was given the equivalent of a formal reprimand which would have potentially removed some of his privileges and it escalated from that. From what we understand the prisoner was intoxicated on home-made alcohol - that's what we have been told."