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| Prison officers in stab vest call | Prison officers in stab vest call |
| (29 minutes later) | |
| Calls are being made for prison officers to be allowed to wear stab-proof vests after a warder was attacked at a Cheshire jail. | Calls are being made for prison officers to be allowed to wear stab-proof vests after a warder was attacked at a Cheshire jail. |
| Glyn Travis, assistant secretary of the Prison Officers Association, demanded action after the HMP Risley incident. | |
| A series of what are believed to be racially-motivated fights broke out in the exercise yard at the jail near Warrington on Thursday night. | A series of what are believed to be racially-motivated fights broke out in the exercise yard at the jail near Warrington on Thursday night. |
| The guard was stabbed as he tried to break up a disturbance. | The guard was stabbed as he tried to break up a disturbance. |
| The Prison Service said three prisoners were taken to hospital after the series of fights | |
| Two of the prisoners remain in hospital being treated for non-life threatening injuries, while one has now returned to HMP Risley. | Two of the prisoners remain in hospital being treated for non-life threatening injuries, while one has now returned to HMP Risley. |
| There are no current plans to issue stab-proof vests to all officers... Prison Service spokesperson | |
| The prison officer who was hurt has also been released from hospital and is now off-duty. | The prison officer who was hurt has also been released from hospital and is now off-duty. |
| Colin Moses, chairman of the Prison Officers' Association (POA), said: "It is clear that officers and other uniformed staff no longer feel they have full control of prisons and prisoners. | Colin Moses, chairman of the Prison Officers' Association (POA), said: "It is clear that officers and other uniformed staff no longer feel they have full control of prisons and prisoners. |
| "The service undertakes an extremely dangerous job. Something needs to be done to put this right. | "The service undertakes an extremely dangerous job. Something needs to be done to put this right. |
| "Incidents like this re-emphasise the need for prison staff to be empowered." | "Incidents like this re-emphasise the need for prison staff to be empowered." |
| Executive officer Tom Robson said that because his members did not have access to the kind of items used by police - such as pepper spray and Tasers - they had to rely on their wits. | |
| "Our best weapon within the prison is our mouths and our ability to be able to talk and interact with inmates," said Mr Robson. | "Our best weapon within the prison is our mouths and our ability to be able to talk and interact with inmates," said Mr Robson. |
| "But that's getting more and more difficult as prison officers become more and more thin on the ground." | "But that's getting more and more difficult as prison officers become more and more thin on the ground." |
| A spokeswoman for the Prison Service said stab-proof vests were only currently issued to officers taking part in "planned control and restraint activities". | |
| "The Prison Service takes the safety of staff very seriously and does offer protective equipment to those likely to be involved in dangerous situations," she said. | |
| "There are no current plans to issue stab-proof vests to all officers but this decision will be kept under review as part of the Prison Service overall strategy to reduce violence in prisons." | |
| Cheshire Police are now investigating the cause of the disturbance. | Cheshire Police are now investigating the cause of the disturbance. |