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Officer hurt during inmate unrest | Officer hurt during inmate unrest |
(30 minutes later) | |
A prison officer has been attacked with an iron bar at a young offenders' institution in Lancashire, it has been claimed. | |
The officer was hit with the weapon during an incident at Lancaster Farms. His condition is not yet known. | |
The Prison Officers' Association (POA) said the incident started during the strike action on Wednesday. | |
More than 500 inmates were locked in their cells when prison officers walked out during the national pay dispute. | |
Steve Gough, national vice-chairman of the POA, said more than 120 quick reaction control and restraint officers, known as Tornado Teams, were sent in to deal with the unrest. | |
"Eight tornado teams - containing about 16 officers each - have been dispatched from other prisons across the region," he said. | |
'Significant' damage | |
"We're not classing this as a riot - inmates have been causing damage to individual cells since Wednesday and more inmates in other wings have started vandalising their cells too. | |
"We expect the repair costs to run into thousands of pounds." | |
A number of juveniles have been moved out of Lancaster Farms following the trouble. | |
A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman described the damage to cells as "significant." | |
All inmates on the affected wings are currently locked in their cells and staff are said to be in control of the situation, the spokeswoman said. |