Inmates at one of the country’s biggest jails were locked in their cells after prison officers walked out claiming they did not feel safe in the prison.
The 1,200 prisoners at Wormwood Scrubs in west London were put on a restricted regime and all visits were cancelled as a result of the action.
The Prison Officers’ Association said that the health and safety concerns came after a recent spate of incidents at the Victorian prison.
Mike Rolfe, incoming chairman of the association, said there had been a number of assaults on staff. “The jail is flooded with drugs, mobile phones and weapons. There are concerns for health and safety of staff, and they have decided to stay outside until they can seek assurances from management that concerns will be addressed,” he said.
Prison governors from elsewhere in the jail system were drafted into Wormwood Scrubs to deliver meals and deal with emergencies.
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The Prison Governors’ Association warned: “The longer the dispute runs, the more challenging it will be for our members who continue to provide the operational resilience that the National Offender Management Service relies upon.” Last night the Ministry of Justice said that the jail had been calm throughout the day despite the action.
A prison service spokesman said earlier that the ministry was taking steps to resolve “an incident” at Wormwood Scrubs. “As a temporary measure, all prisoners will remain in cells and are being supervised. There is no danger to staff or the wider public.”
Mr Rolfe said the action was not planned and came after an emergency branch meeting.
It has been illegal since 1997 for prison officers to take industrial action.