Winson Green 'riot': Vow violence 'will not be tolerated' after trouble at Birmingham prison

But the Government has come under fire from the Prison Officers Association for leaving jails across the country 'in crisis'.

Authorities regained control of HMP Birmingham late last night after trouble described as the worst since the infamous 1990 Strangeways Prison riot.

Hundreds of inmates were caught up in disorder after disturbances erupted across four wings of HMP Birmingham, lasting more than 13 hours.

Riot squads were deployed to the category B jail to restore order after reports of prisoners setting fire to stairwells, breaking a security chain and destroying paper records.

UPDATE: 240 inmates moved out of Winson Green

Full coverage of the disorder as it happened

Mike Rolfe, national chairman of the Prison Officers Association, who last month protested over safety concerns, said more than 30 staff had left the jail in recent weeks and compared the trouble to the notorious Strangeways riot 26 years ago.

"This prison is a tough place to work, it serves a very big area, it serves a large, dangerous population of prisoners, but it's not unlike many other prisons up and down the country - ones that have very similar inmates," he told reporters.

"And we've been warning for a long time about the crisis in prisons, and what we are seeing at Birmingham is not unique to Birmingham, but it certainly would seem that this is the most recent worst incident since the 1990 Strangeways riot."

Mr Rolfe accused the Government of not funding the prison system properly and said such disturbances are becoming more frequent as a result.

MORE: 'Drugs, drones and violence': Shocking report reveals life at Midlands jail

The situation, in which keys giving access to residential prison areas were taken from an officer and inmates occupied some blocks and exercise facilities, will be investigated thoroughly, Justice Secretary Liz Truss said.

"I want to pay tribute to the bravery and dedication of the prison officers who resolved this disturbance," she said.

"I also want to give my thanks to West Midlands Police, who supported G4S and the Prison Service throughout the day, ambulance crews and the fire service who also provided assistance.

"This was a serious situation and a thorough investigation will now be carried out. Violence in our prisons will not be tolerated and those responsible will face the full force of the law."

Specially-trained prison guards, known as "Tornado" squads, from other parts of the country were backed up by around 25 riot police as they moved into the privately-run facility late on Friday.

Police had earlier closed the road and established a secure cordon around the main gate.

Windows were reported to have been broken and walls damaged during the disruption, but sources said it had been "superficial".

One prisoner, believed to be in his 20s, was taken to hospital with a facial injury as well as cuts, bruises and a reduced consciousness, West Midlands Ambulance Service said.

West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman Jamie Arrowsmith said: "Once it was deemed safe for ambulance staff to do so, they entered the prison and found one patient, a man believed to be in his 20s.

"He was treated for an injury to his face, cuts and bruises as well as a slightly reduced level of consciousness.

"He was then transported to hospital for further assessment."

The city jail, is run by security firm G4S. It can hold up to 1,450 inmates, but it is understood around 260 prisoners were caught up in the incident.

Jerry Petherick, managing director for G4S custodial and detention, said the prisoners behind the trouble "showed a callous disregard for the safety of prisoners and staff".

He added: "This disturbance will rightly be subject to scrutiny and we will work openly and transparently with the Ministry of Justice and other relevant authorities to understand the cause of today's disorder."

Former inmates at the jail where serial murderer Fred West hanged himself in 1995 have said they are not surprised at the disturbances, describing it as something that was "bound to happen".

The latest disturbance is the third in English prisons in less than two months.

On November 6 a riot at category B Bedford Prison saw up to 200 inmates go on the rampage, flooding the jail's gangways in chaotic scenes.

Just days earlier, on October 29, a national response unit had to be brought in to control prisoners during an incident at HMP Lewes in East Sussex.

A spokesman from the Prison Governors Association said the disturbance at the Birmingham jail "comes at a very difficult time for Noms (National Offender Management Service) on the back of recent riots and at a time when the prison estate is already bursting at the seams".

Shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon said the disturbances at the Birmingham jail were "hugely concerning" and claimed the Justice Secretary was "failing to get this crisis under control".

When it was suggested this could be the worst prison riot in years, Mr Neill said: "Certainly looking that way, yeah, and this is a problem which has happened both in privately and publicly-run systems, so it applies across the piece.

"I think that does indicate that we have got a situation where if people are locked down 22/23 hours a day, as we have discovered, that breeds tension, that breeds violence, and, as you rightly say, we are not actually keeping prisons secure enough to stop contraband getting in."

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott told broadcasters: "private companies should not be involved in taking away people's liberty. Actually, it's clear that G4S don't have the quality of staff to manage a crisis like this."