Prison riot exploded inside maximum security jail when inmates brawled over whether to watch darts or football on TV
Six guards are said to have been attacked with pool cues and other makeshift weapons in the fracas at the maximum security Lanarkshire prison
INMATES rioted at a maximum security prison – over whether to watch live darts or football.
Six guards are said to have been attacked with pool cues and other makeshift weapons in the fracas at Shotts prison, in Lanarkshire.
The prisoners now face tough internal sanctions that could see them put into segregation or moved to other jails.
Trouble flared after footy fans insisted they wanted to watch the St Mirren v Dundee United Scottish Championship match rather than the World Darts Championships December 29.
The darts competition - shown live on Sky Sports - included a needle match between Phil 'The Power' Taylor and Scots darts hero Gary Anderson in the quarter-finals.
Prisoners and staff at the tough nick who required medical attention after the match.
Insiders at the jail said the violence was chilling in how quickly it escalated.
One source said: "There had been some trouble over the course of the day based on arguments over the darts, of all things.
"Some wanted to watch the football and others the darts. But the speed of how things escalated was very frightening.
"The staff and other prisoners were caught up in some intense violence before authorities could calm things down."
The source added: "It shows you what a dangerous place it can be - not just for the prisoners but also for the guards who are just doing their jobs."
Maximum-security jail Shotts is unique in Scotland because it is meant to be exclusively for long-term prisoners serving four or more years.
At a recent inspection, of the 531 prisoners at Shotts, 312 were in for more than 10 years.
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A spokeswoman for the Scottish Prison Service said: "We are able to confirm an incident happened on December 29."
She added no prison guards were hospitalised with any serious injuries.
It is understood authorities could use CCTV of the incident as part of an investigation.
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