Image caption Carl Brookes and Ross Queen were both cleared of prison mutiny on Thursday but previously admitted taking a selfie

Two inmates who took a selfie during a 15-hour riot at HMP Birmingham have been cleared of prison mutiny.

The photo of Carl Brookes and Ross Queen wearing prison officers' helmets was posted on social media during the disorder at the G4S-run jail in 2016.

The disturbance spread to four wings and saw 500 prisoners being let out of their cells.

The men previously admitted taking a photo or making a sound recording without authority.

The pair were among nine inmates on trial at Birmingham Crown Court over the riot.

Image copyright West Midlands Police Image caption Kash Wallace was convicted of prison mutiny and taking a photo without authority

Image copyright West Midlands Police Image caption Ricardo Davis-McCann filmed the disorder on a mobile phone, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

Two other prisoners were convicted of using a mobile phone to film rampaging inmates.

Kash Wallace videoed the trouble and captured Ricardo Davis-McCann also filming the disorder on a mobile phone, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

Wallace's footage subsequently ended up on social media.

The five remaining inmates were all cleared of prison mutiny.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Six inmates have already been jailed for their part in the trouble

The riot, on 16 December, cost G4S about £6m.

Stolen keys were used to free the hundreds of prisoners from their cells before inmates threw TVs out of windows, built bonfires, pelted staff with missiles and paint and used an injured prisoner as "bait" during the disorder.

West Midlands Police, said it was "frightening" to watch the recorded footage after the riot, described by the Prison Officers' Association as the worst disorder since the Strangeways disorder 26 years ago.

Six other inmates were jailed for their part in the trouble last September.

The defendants:

Ross Queen, 31, was cleared of one count of prison mutiny and a second count of prison mutiny and failing to submit to lawful authorities. He previously admitted taking a photo or making a sound recording without authority.

Carl Brookes, 33, was cleared of one count of prison mutiny and a second count of prison mutiny and failing to submit to lawful authorities. He also previously admitted taking a photo or making a sound recording without authority.

Ricardo Davis-McCann, 23, was cleared of prison mutiny, but was convicted of taking a photo or making a sound recording without authority.

Kash Wallace, 25, was convicted of prison mutiny and also of taking a photo or making a sound recording without authority.

Jayon Foster, 35, was cleared of prison mutiny.

Mohammed Khan, 39, was cleared of prison mutiny.

Sean Kinsella, 31, denied and was cleared of prison mutiny.

Hayden Mills 23, denied and was cleared of prison mutiny.

Brodie Wadrup, 28, was cleared of prison mutiny.

Sentencing will follow at a later date. </s> These are external links and will open in a new window

Two inmates who took a selfie during a 15-hour riot at HMP Birmingham have been cleared of prison mutiny.

The photo of Carl Brookes and Ross Queen wearing prison officers' helmets was posted on social media during the disorder at the G4S-run jail in 2016.

The disturbance spread to four wings and saw 500 prisoners being let out of their cells.

The men previously admitted taking a photo or making a sound recording without authority.

The pair were among nine inmates on trial at Birmingham Crown Court over the riot.

Two other prisoners were convicted of using a mobile phone to film rampaging inmates.

Kash Wallace videoed the trouble and captured Ricardo Davis-McCann also filming the disorder on a mobile phone, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

The five remaining inmates were all cleared of prison mutiny.

The riot, on 16 December, cost G4S about £6m.

Stolen keys were used to free the hundreds of prisoners from their cells before inmates threw TVs out of windows, built bonfires, pelted staff with missiles and paint and used an injured prisoner as "bait" during the disorder.

West Midlands Police, said it was "frightening" to watch the recorded footage after the riot, described by the Prison Officers' Association as the worst disorder since the Strangeways disorder 26 years ago.

Six other inmates were jailed for their part in the trouble last September.

Ross Queen, 31, was cleared of one count of prison mutiny and a second count of prison mutiny and failing to submit to lawful authorities. He previously admitted taking a photo or making a sound recording without authority.

Carl Brookes, 33, was cleared of one count of prison mutiny and a second count of prison mutiny and failing to submit to lawful authorities. He also previously admitted taking a photo or making a sound recording without authority.

Ricardo Davis-McCann, 23, was cleared of prison mutiny, but was convicted of taking a photo or making a sound recording without authority.

Kash Wallace, 25, was convicted of prison mutiny and also of taking a photo or making a sound recording without authority.

Sean Kinsella, 31, denied and was cleared of prison mutiny.

Hayden Mills 23, denied and was cleared of prison mutiny.

Sentencing will follow at a later date. </s> Image copyright Reuters Image caption Police officers in riot gear stand outside HMP Birmingham, run by security firm G4S

Authorities have regained control of a prison after more than 12 hours of rioting described as the worst since the Strangeways jail riot 26 years ago.

The Ministry of Justice said riot teams restored order to all four wings of HMP Birmingham just after 22:30 on Friday.

They were deployed to tackle the disorder, which is understood to have involved up to 600 inmates.

Justice Secretary Liz Truss said violence in prisons "will not be tolerated".

The BBC understands that one prisoner was hurt during the riot and taken to hospital with a fractured jaw and broken eye socket.

Prison wings are now being inspected to assess the scale of the damage after prisoners took control of the category B prison on Friday morning.

Image copyright Other Image caption An unverified photo appears to show debris and damage caused during the disturbance

Mike Rolfe, national chairman of the Prison Officers Association, said more than 30 staff had left the Winson Green prison in recent weeks and compared the trouble to the notorious Strangeways riot in 1990.

He said: "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.

"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."

Rodger Lawrence, chairman of the Birmingham prison Independent Monitoring Board, said his members had not seen anything of concern during a visit earlier this week, but said the riot "didn't come as a complete shock" as there had been "a build up of frustration" over prison conditions.

Trouble flared at the Birmingham prison, which is run by G4S, after an officer was "rushed" by inmates at around 09:00.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Riot officers entered the prison to regain control after disturbances broke out

Violence quickly escalated and due to the scale of the disturbances the Prison Service took over the incident and specialist Tornado units were deployed to regain control.

Prison units from across the country were also drafted in to assist.

Ms Truss thanked prison staff and emergency services for their help during the disorder.

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

"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."

'Callous disregard for safety'

During the disturbance the BBC was contacted by several men claiming to be prisoners at the jail, who said poor conditions were behind the disturbance.

The men, who said they were calling from inside HMP Birmingham, cited inadequate staff numbers, poor healthcare and nutrition.

They said being on "lockdown" in their cells all day was a major factor that contributed to the trouble.

Image copyright Other Image caption Another unverified photo circulated online purporting to show scenes from inside the prison

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 said: "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." </s> Authorities have regained control of one of the country’s biggest jails 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 12 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.

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 of the prison.

One prisoner is understood to have received a broken jaw and eye socket during the disturbances, while no prison staff were injured.

Broken windows and damaged walls were described as being left in the aftermath of the disruption, but sources said it had been “superficial”.

Mike Rolfe, national chairman of the Prison Officers Association, who last month protested over safety concerns, said more than 30 staff had left the prison 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 BBC Radio Four’s The World Tonight.

“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.

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, the Justice Secretary said.

Liz Truss said: “I want to pay tribute to the bravery and dedication of the prison officers who resolved this disturbance.

“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.”

The city centre jail formerly known as Winson Green and run by G4S 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”.

Tory chairman of the Commons Justice Committee, Robert Neill, told Channel Four News the Government had been warned by his watchdog group of MPs that a “time bomb was ticking” as prisons were in “crisis”.

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.”

Labour’s shadow home secretary Diane Abbott told Channel Four News “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”. </s> About 240 inmates involved in a 12-hour riot at one of Britain’s biggest prisons are being moved out of the jail, the Ministry of Justice has said.

The disorder involved as many as 600 of the 1,450 inmates and spread across all four wings of the privately operated HMP Birmingham, formerly known as Winson Green, on Friday.

Specially trained prison guards, known as “Tornado” squads, were backed up by about 25 riot police officers as they moved into the Victorian facility. Order was not restored until late on Friday night.

One prisoner is understood to have sustained a broken jaw during the disturbances but no prison officers were injured.

A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said the prison remained “calm and ordered” on Saturday and additional staff remained on site.

“The Prison Service will continue to work closely with G4S to manage the prison safely over the coming days. A full assessment of the damage is under way. Initial reports indicate that two wings suffered superficial damage, with more serious damage to a further two wings,” she said.

“A limited regime is being offered to those who were not involved in the disturbance and staff continue to work closely with West Midlands police. A thorough investigation into the disturbance is under way.”

The ministry did not say where the prisoners were being transferred the day after the disturbance, which was the third in a prison in England in less than two months.

Mike Rolfe, the national chairman of the Prison Officers Association, said more than 30 staff had left the jail in recent weeks.

“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 the BBC.

“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.”

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



“Violence in our prisons will not be tolerated and those responsible will face the full force of the law,” she said.

Jerry Petherick, a G4S executive, said the prisoners behind the trouble displayed a callous disregard for the safety of other inmates and staff. “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 [Friday’s] disorder.”

The shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, told Channel 4 News that “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.”

Robert Neill, the Conservative chairman of the Commons justice committee, told the programme that the MPs on his committee had warned the government that a “time bomb was ticking” because prisons were in crisis.

Asked if this had been the worst prison riot in years, Neill replied: “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.” </s> Unrest at HMP Swaleside involving 60 inmates has now been isolated to one landing in the prison's A wing, after specialist riot officers were called in, the Prison Officers Association has confirmed.

Inmates took control of a wing of the Category B training prison this evening (22 December) causing an "ongoing disturbance."

A spokesperson for the Prison Service has said: "The incident in contained to one landing on A wing. The rest of the prison is secure with all prisoners locked in cells."

A specialist Tornado Squad were called in, with officers drafted from across the south east to prevent the disturbance spreading to other wings of the prison.

Earlier, the Prison Officers Association chairman Mike Rolfe said that inmates had started fires amid scenes of rioting.

According to The Telegraph, Rolfe said: "There is an ongoing disturbance there (at Swaleside). We are not sure how bad it is yet but we understand 60 prisoners have taken control of 'A' wing there. Some fires have been lit, apparently, and basically we know that it's an ongoing incident."

The disturbance has been described by some media as an act of "co-ordinated unrest".

HMP Swaleside, on the Isle of Sheppey, has eight wings comprised of single cells with a capacity of around 1,100 inmates. Almost 500 of the inmates are serving life.

An HM Inspectorate of Prisons report in July described the prison as "dangerous" and found a high incidence of violence. It said 69% of prisoners "had felt unsafe at some time while at Swaleside, a result which was significantly higher than at similar prisons".

The Swaleside incident is the fifth disturbance at an English prison in less than two months following riots at HMP Lewes, HMP Bedford, HMP Moorland, and HMP Birmingham.

Last week 600 prisoners were involved in a 12-hour stand-off with specialist riot officers at HMP Birmingham, one of the country's biggest jails. Prison staff at the privately-run institution lost control of all four wings after an officer was "rushed" by inmates.

In October an inmate was stabbed to death and two others injured at Pentonville in north London. </s> This is the moment two grinning inmates wearing stolen riot gear triumphantly raised a middle finger at the prison system amid one of its worst riots in decades.

Officers were forced to flee Winson Green prison in Birmingham this morning after inmates threatened a officer with a syringe and stole his keys.

The incident sparked the takeover of at least four wings of the Category B prison by around 400 criminals.

Dramatic pictures appearing to have been taken inside the jail show scenes of chaos as inmates poses with officers' keys and wings are strewn with debris.

There are also reports that one prisoner has been stabbed and of other inmates burning and destroying their files.

A special Tornado team of prison riot officers and armed police have been called in to try and wrestle the situation back under control.

All staff are believed to have been accounted for after being evacuated in accordance with prison guidelines to avoid a potential hostage situation.

Angry inmates called the Birmingham Mail from inside the prison, claiming drug debt "scores are being settled" inside the jail.

One prisoner said the disorder started with seven inmates inside N-wing because there "has been no TV to watch and the gym is closed".

He said: “There are people dealing with issues in here at the moment. Lots of scores are being settled because all of the doors are open.

“They are walking onto wings and dealing with people who are in debt because of Mamba. Some of these people rely on prisoner officers and cell doors to hide behind. That protection is not there at the moment.

“The people who are in the most danger are the ones who owe big debts because of drugs. If people are spotting others who owe them a lot of money they are being dealt with.

“Some people are staying in big groups for protection and others are following the group. Some are just staying in their cells and keeping their heads down.

“One has had his head bust up, one has been stabbed and others have been beat up and rushed."

It is believed to be the worst prison riot since the Strangeways Riot in Manchester in 1990, which developed into a 25-day rooftop stand-off.

Distraught loved-ones of offenders say they have received phonecalls from inside the prison and could hear scenes of carnage in the background.

One relative said: "He (the prisoner) had to run and barricade himself under his bed. He said it’s crazy in there.

“I was listening on the phone and all I could hear was shouting, screaming and banging. It’s absolutely disgusting. I’m worried about what will happen to him.

“I know that he didn’t tell me everything about what was happening because he didn’t want to worry me.”

One inmate, speaking through a relative, said: “I have been in riots before and this is, by far, the worst I’ve come across.

“There are now three wings involved and the whole prison is surrounded."

The prisoner claimed the trouble was sparked by the death of an inmate two weeks ago, and believed the man committed suicide.

A relative of an inmate at the prison said: “It’s still happening now. He said it all started over there no being enough hot water in the shower or something like that.

“There are no officers on the wing now. They have abandoned it. There is major damage to the wing. It was obviously frightening, but that’s prison isn’t it.”

Managing Director for G4S custodial and detention services, Jerry Petherick, said: “We continue to respond to an ongoing incident at HMP Birmingham which began just after 9am this morning.

“Our teams withdrew following a disturbance and sealed two wings, which include some administrative offices. The disturbance has since spread to two further wings.

“All staff have been accounted for. Additional officers have arrived on site and we have deployed canine units within the prison. West Midlands Police helicopter is also in attendance.

“We are working with colleagues across the service to bring this disturbance to a safe conclusion.”

There were conflicting reports about what sparked the disturbance - with claims that it was due to anything from TV or gym access to the recent death of an inmate to inmates not receiving medication to there not being enough hot water in the showers.

The tearful wife of a guard said her husband expressed fears that a riot could break out "all the time" in conversations with her.

She said: "Every day my husband goes to work and i am worried sick i will never see him again."

She claimed conditions inside the prison are dangerous for workers because of severe staffing shortages.

Inmates said they were upset with conditions inside the prison and claimed "the guards have completely lost control".

Former inmate Stefan Parszko, 60, from Stoke had just been released after a four-and-a-half month sentence.

He said: “There has been lots of anger over the last few days as we have been locked in a lot as there has been a lack of staff.

"It's chaos in there."

Blogger and former prisoner Alex Cavendish, of Prison UK, said he had been told by an "inside informant" that inmates had breached wings and had entered exercise yards after starting fires, destroying files and throwing computers from windows in the offender management unit.

He said there were claims that a prisoner's neck had been slashed and another was beaten by fellow inmates.

He was told the riot started on N wing and spread to other wings as inmates smashed lights and controlled fire hoses, leading to water being cut off.

He added: "The officers were then, as they are instructed to do, trying to get as many prisoners locked in their cells as possible to contain it.

“While one of the officers was putting a prisoner in the cell he was threatened with what appeared to be a used syringe.”

Mr Cavendish, 53, said while this officer was distracted by the threat, "another inmate came up behind, snatched the keys from his belt and snapped the security chain".

He added once prisoners have control of keys, protocol tells the officers to "withdraw to a place of safety" and said they "abandoned the wing" where the incident started.

He said: "It is a very serious situation and I think the fact they have now accessed the key offices like the offender management unit - that is where all the offender records are.

"If they destroy all of those records it is going to take months or even years to rebuild the information."

He said his informant told him that G wing, the vulnerable prisoners unit, had been secured.

West Midlands Ambulance Service has confirmed that they are in attendance at Winson Green Prison.

A spokesman said that paramedics were called to the scene at 12.23pm along with the Hazardous Area Response Team.

Last month it was revealed an inmate died after taking a cocktail of drugs at the prison - while in the rehabilitation wing.

Shoplifter Dean Boland, 30, had taken the former illegal high Black Mamba and had taken five other drugs which were not prescribed to him.

A prison insider previously spoke to the Birmingham Mail about alleged problems at the prison, including drug smuggling.

He claimed: “Before G4S took over there were lots of experienced staff who were paid good money. Now they’ve got new less experienced staff in who can’t cope.

“Threats, drugs - it’s almost constant. Drones are buzzing all over Winson Green.”

HMP Birmingham, better known locally as Winson Green, has been a feature in Birmingham since Victorian times – and was the scene of dozens of executions.

Winson Green, built in 1849, holds as many as 1,450 inmates and is the first publicly run prison to be transferred to a private firm after G4S was awarded a 15 year contract in 2011. </s> Inmates behind the worst prison riot in 25 years have been heard chanting "we want food" as thick plumes of smoke emerge over the prison walls.

Rampaging prisoners could be heard chanting from outside Winson Green Prison in Birmingham - which was taken over by criminals this morning.

Officers were forced to flee at around 9am this morning after inmates threatened a officer with a syringe and stole his keys.

The incident sparked the takeover of at least four wings of the Category B prison by around 400 criminals - including the gym, pharmacy and security equipment store.

Dramatic pictures taken inside the jail show scenes of chaos as inmates pose in stolen security gear and wings can be seen scattered with debris.

Private security firm G4S dramatically handed control of the jail back to the Prison Service - effectively accepting they are unable to reclaim the wings.

A special Tornado team of prison riot officers and armed police have been called in to try and wrestle the situation back under control.

All staff are believed to have been accounted for after being evacuated in accordance with prison guidelines to avoid a potential hostage situation.

Angry inmates called the Birmingham Mail from inside the prison, claiming drug debt "scores are being settled" inside the jail.

One prisoner said the disorder started with seven inmates inside N-wing because there "has been no TV to watch and the gym is closed".

He said: “There are people dealing with issues in here at the moment. Lots of scores are being settled because all of the doors are open.

“They are walking onto wings and dealing with people who are in debt because of Mamba. Some of these people rely on prisoner officers and cell doors to hide behind. That protection is not there at the moment.

“The people who are in the most danger are the ones who owe big debts because of drugs. If people are spotting others who owe them a lot of money they are being dealt with.

“Some people are staying in big groups for protection and others are following the group. Some are just staying in their cells and keeping their heads down.

“One has had his head bust up, one has been stabbed and others have been beat up and rushed."

It is believed to be the worst prison riot since the Strangeways Riot in Manchester in 1990, which developed into a 25-day rooftop stand-off.

Distraught loved-ones of offenders say they have received phonecalls from inside the prison and could hear scenes of carnage in the background.

One relative said: "He (the prisoner) had to run and barricade himself under his bed. He said it’s crazy in there.

“I was listening on the phone and all I could hear was shouting, screaming and banging. It’s absolutely disgusting. I’m worried about what will happen to him.

“I know that he didn’t tell me everything about what was happening because he didn’t want to worry me.”

One inmate, speaking through a relative, said: “I have been in riots before and this is, by far, the worst I’ve come across.

“There are now three wings involved and the whole prison is surrounded."

The prisoner claimed the trouble was sparked by the death of an inmate two weeks ago, and believed the man committed suicide.

Former inmate Stefan Parszko, 60, from Stoke had just been released after a four-and-a-half month sentence.

He said: “There has been lots of anger over the last few days as we have been locked in a lot as there has been a lack of staff.

"It's chaos in there."

Last month it was revealed an inmate died after taking a cocktail of drugs at the prison - while in the rehabilitation wing.

Shoplifter Dean Boland, 30, had taken the former illegal high Black Mamba and had taken five other drugs which were not prescribed to him.

A prison insider previously spoke to the Birmingham Mail about alleged problems at the prison, including drug smuggling.

He claimed: “Before G4S took over there were lots of experienced staff who were paid good money. Now they’ve got new less experienced staff in who can’t cope.

“Threats, drugs - it’s almost constant. Drones are buzzing all over Winson Green.”

HMP Birmingham, better known locally as Winson Green, has been a feature in Birmingham since Victorian times – and was the scene of dozens of executions.

Winson Green, built in 1849, holds as many as 1,450 inmates and is the first publicly run prison to be transferred to a private firm after G4S was awarded a 15 year contract in 2011. </s> Prisoners have taken control of part of a wing at a prison in Kent with between 60 and 80 inmates involved.

The Prison Officers Association (POA) said there was an "ongoing disturbance" at the category B training prison HMP Swaleside on the Isle of Sheppey.

The Prison Service said it was dealing with "an incident" contained to a landing on the jail's A Wing.

POA chairman Mike Rolfe said the extent of the disturbance was unclear but fires had been lit.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: "The Prison Service is dealing with an incident involving 60 prisoners at HMP Swaleside.

"The incident is contained to one landing on A Wing. The rest of the prison is secure with all prisoners in locked in cells."

The BBC's Home Affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the disturbance had now been contained but prisoners were refusing to go back into their cells.

He said at least 60 and possibly as many as 80 inmates were involved.

Specially trained guards known as "Tornado" squads have been deployed to Swaleside, the Prison Service said.

The squads were also used to quell a riot last week when inmates rioted for more than 12 hours at Birmingham prison.

Prisoners set fires, stole keys to residential areas from a guard and one inmate was seriously injured.

Up to 240 prisoners were moved following the riot, but the Ministry of Justice has not commented on whether any were shipped to Swaleside.

The prison has a capacity of about 1,100 inmates serving terms of more than four years.

The category B facility gives inmates access to education and training.

An HM Inspectorate of Prisons report in July described the prison as "dangerous" and found levels of violence were "far too high", with many of the incidents classed as serious.
• HMP Birmingham - 16 December - Specialist riot squads were deployed after a riot broke out involving hundreds of inmates and lasting more than 12 hours.
• HMP Bedford - 6 November - A riot saw up to 200 inmates go on the rampage, flooding the jail's gangways.
• HMP Lewes - 29 October - A national response unit had to be brought in to control the prisoners at the East Sussex jail during a disturbance which lasted for six hours.
Eight inmates are acquitted of prison mutiny while one is convicted over a riot at HMP Birmingham in England described by the Prison Officers' Association as the worst violence they had seen for over 25 years.