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Officer hurt in youth jail riot | Officer hurt in youth jail riot |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A prison officer has been injured in a riot involving more than 30 young offenders at a Shropshire youth jail. | |
A wing at Stoke Heath Young Offenders' Institution suffered considerable damage in the incident, which went on for nine hours on Sunday evening. | |
It began when 33 inmates on 'A' wing refused to return to their cells. The national control and restraint team later moved in with riot gear. | |
A dozen inmates had to be sent to other jails because of the amount of damage. | |
One of the officers suffered a broken nose in the disturbance at the site near Market Drayton. | |
Considerable damage was caused to the common areas of the wing Prison Service statement | |
But it is believed none of the young offenders were injured in the incident, which was brought under control in the early hours of Sunday. | |
At one point in-house staff withdrew and, after mediation failed, members of the national control and restraint team went in. | |
In a statement, the Prison Service said: "At 5pm 33 juvenile prisoners on Stoke Heath 'A' wing refused to return to their cells. | |
"Considerable damage was caused to the common areas of the wing. | |
"Specially-trained control and restraint officers and police officers were sent to the prison and the incident was resolved at 2.15am. | |
"The police will now be conducting an investigation. | |
"Seven (prisoners) are being held in the care and separation unit." | |
'Probably uninhabitable' | 'Probably uninhabitable' |
The chair of Stoke Heath's independent monitoring board, Jackie Whittle, said: "I think it started with a fight and became what we'd call concerted indiscipline. | The chair of Stoke Heath's independent monitoring board, Jackie Whittle, said: "I think it started with a fight and became what we'd call concerted indiscipline. |
"The officers were attacked by about 33 boys. 'A' wing is probably uninhabitable and I think the wing will have to be emptied. | "The officers were attacked by about 33 boys. 'A' wing is probably uninhabitable and I think the wing will have to be emptied. |
"They were negotiating for a quiet outcome but eventually the national team went in at about half past eleven. | "They were negotiating for a quiet outcome but eventually the national team went in at about half past eleven. |
"I think some officers were hurt in the initial fight. | |
"I don't think any of the trainees were hurt. We saw them all as they were brought out of the wing." | "I don't think any of the trainees were hurt. We saw them all as they were brought out of the wing." |
The site, which has inmates between the ages of 15 and 21, houses about 650 young offenders. |