Birmingham prison riot ‘was started as a distraction for £1,000 gangland hit’ as inmate ‘stabbed’ amid jail chaos
Lags allege the victim was stabbed twice in the neck by fellow inmates who were paid £1,000 to carry out the attack in his cell
THE Birmingham Prison riot was started by an underworld gang who tried to stab another inmate in a row over stolen drugs, it has been claimed.
Lags allege the victim was stabbed twice in the neck by fellow inmates who were paid £1,000 to carry out the "hit" in his cell.
One prisoner, who contacted the , said: "He's on remand for robbery and he robbed the wrong person."
Another said: "It was an outside job. They travelled all the way from P wing to M wing. I heard it was about nicking cocaine.
"He's a mad-man on the outside, he'll rob anybody. There were reprisals. Someone got a lot of money for it."
The injured prisoner is reportedly recovering in hospital.
Specially trained riot cops from the Tornado Squad helped move 240 prisoners out of the wrecked jail on Saturday.
Meanwhile private security firm G4S, which runs the 1,450-inmate Category B prison, claimed order had been restored.
But prisoners still inside the jail claim they have not been adequately fed since the rioting started last Friday morning.
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One inmate said: "They say it's all back to normal, it isn't. All we've had in the last 48 hours is a sausage and beans. I'm still waiting for my tea.
"It was terrifying. I've been in and out of this prison for 25 years and I've seen a massive change in it.
"There's not enough training for staff. I've been through high security prisons, but none as bad as this.
"Listen, if you treat people like dogs they'll behave like dogs."
A former guard who quit his job in March also claimed drugs and violence were taking over the prison.
He said: "Go on any wing in the early hours and you can smell what they're smoking.
"I'm on my own, I'm not going to confront huge men in a cell and tell them to hand over their drugs. There's no back-up.
"I saw it (Friday's riot) coming.
"It was a big disaster waiting to happen. It was destined to happen. I spoke to the governor and said it's not working.
"There was no sense of security, no back-up. They were just not listening. I simply didn't feel safe at work - they just didn't have the staff.
"It was the police that were brought in, it was the riot police that were brought in.
How many thousands has that cost the taxpayer? It's a disaster."
G4S declined to comment but the Ministry of Justice denied any knowledge of the alleged stabbing.
West Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed a prisoner had received treatment for cuts and bruises, but had no record of a knife attack.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman 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.”
Now it has emerged that top prison authorities fear copycat riots in other prisons.
Inmates will be moved from Winson Green to other jails which it is claimed are overcrowded and understaffed.
The Prison Governors Association warned last night: ‘The loss of places at the prison will now put additional strains on other prisons across the UK already under severe pressure.
"Prison governors will need to be supported with greater resources and the freedoms to act if there is to be a genuine commitment to prevent further similar incidents."
The outbreak of violence at Winson Green is the third such outburst in in less than two months.
HMP Moorland, the current home of footy paedo Adam Johnson experienced unrest last month just days after £1million worth of damage was caused at a clink in Bedford.
Meanwhile the two lags who posed in stolen helmets for a prison riot selfie were named today.
Carl Brookes, 32, grinned in a red vest as Birmingham jail spiralled out of control on Friday.
He stashed a kilo of cocaine worth £185,000 in a picnic bag for a day out with his three-year-old daughter.
Brookes, who used drug cash to buy a £600,000 home in Worcestershire was jailed in August for eight years, seven months.
Pal Ross Queen, 30, gives the finger in the pic.
Brookes’ brother Michael said the photo was “banter”.
Some lags claimed Brookes saved lives by putting out a riot fire.
Trouble apparently flared when a mob surrounded a guard and con arguing over a cancelled X-ray and stole his keys.
An inmate from inside P Wing said the prisoners had sets of keys - taken from guards - and he claimed everything had been "smashed up."
He added: "It started with seven of them on the netting and it just escalated from there.
"Everything is getting smashed up though. The windows are being smashed up and fires have been set.
"I've never seen anything like this before. The biggest issue for most of us is the lack of exercise. They have stopped from using the gym and from having any exercise.
"When we were told this morning that we were not getting exercise everyone went mad. They have had enough.
"They cancel gym all the time, the showers are cold, the food is crap, the heating is never on and we never get our mail on time.
"We saw some guards near the doors with shields and helmets earlier but they all ran off.
"It means the prisoners have been able to move between the two wings. I would say there are about 600 of us and no guards at all. We are in control."
Dramatic footage, apparently from inside the jail, shows massive flames rising as inmates set fires in parts of the wings.
According to frantic relatives, prisoners were "gasping for breath and screaming for help", as smoke filled corridors and cells.
One relative said: “My brother is screaming for help. The smoke is that thick on the landing that he can’t breathe.
“He said it is absolute chaos. He is screaming for help and they are not doing anything. People have been locked in their cells for hours with no food.”
The relative also claimed that the notorious Birmingham rival street gangs had been fighting in the prison.
“People are badly injured in there,” she added. “I am worried sick, like many other families.
“The prisoners are fearing for their lives. They need help urgently.
“They are barricading themselves in because they are scared of the other inmates. They need fresh air. They need to get them out.”
Order was restored after 12 hours.
Managing director for G4S custodial and detention, Jerry Petherick, said: “The four affected wings in disturbances at HMP Birmingham have now been recovered and secured.
“One prisoner was injured in today’s disturbances and he has gone to outside hospital to be treated for a broken jaw and eye socket. His family has been contacted and informed.
“The affected wings are being inspected to determine the extent of damage to prison property.
“It has been an immensely challenging day for both our team at HMP Birmingham and colleagues from across the Prison Service, who have shown great resilience and courage.
“They have worked tirelessly and I want to pay tribute to their hard work and thank the emergency services for their support on site.
“The prisoners behind today’s disorder showed a callous disregard for the safety of prisoners and staff and we will work hard to identify them and support West Midlands Police to push for the strongest possible sanctions in court.
Yesterday 240 inmates were moved from the 1,400-capacity jail.
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