Coronavirus UK: ‘Drug-dealing kingpin’ extradited from Thailand at centre of suspected outbreak at high-security jail
AN alleged drug-dealing kingpin is at the centre of a suspected corona-virus outbreak at a high-security jail.
Mark Rumble, 31, arrived back in the UK on January 27 after being extradited from Thailand to face charges of conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
He collapsed in his cell at category B HMP Bullingdon, near Bicester, Oxfordshire, days later.
Tonight hundreds of inmates were confined to their cells as panic spread.
An entire wing at the jail has been shut off with two cons now being tested for the deadly disease.
Prison chiefs were tonight awaiting urgent test results on Rumble and his cellmate — due to be completed within 24 hours.
A source said: “The jail’s been in panic mode since the first person collapsed.
“Several hundred prisoners on C-wing are in lockdown and unable to leave their cells. A prison is just about the worst place for any outbreak because everyone is in such close quarters.”
Thai authorities insisted Rumble was fit to travel when he was extradited to the UK.
The health ministry claimed the Brit drug kingpin had shown no symptoms of the killer virus.
Officials told Sky News Rumble had been in the UK for at least 16 days.
Thailand has had 33 confirmed cases of coronavirus and was the second country to be affected after China.
Its first case was declared on January 13 — a fortnight before Rumble’s return.
Rumble, who is on remand, was rushed to hospital and was understood to be in isolation in the jail’s healthcare wing.
A source explained that the stricken prisoner was being treated at a “specialist hospital” outside of the prison walls.
They added: “He is understood to have recently arrived at Bullingdon from a jail in Thailand under a transferral scheme.
“He is being treated at a specialist hospital outside the prison."
The other prisoner was displaying flu-like symptoms and is in Bullingdon’s hospital wing.
A prison nurse who first attended to Rumble has put herself into “self-isolation” at home.
It came as:
- Five schools in Brighton have been places on infection alert
- Super-spreader Stephen Walsh “ absolutely terrified” of being made “national scapegoat
Worthing Hospital A&E worker revealed to be one of eight Brits diagnosed with deadly disease - Two health centres were shut in Brighton and pupils were advised to stay home
- A health centre in Berkshire was closed over fears a patient may have caught the bug
Public Health England officials were spotted at the prison site assisting the 1,114 prisoners and advising staff as medics in hazmat suits entered the jail's suspect wing.
The segregated prisoners were said to be receiving separate food and medication from the other inmates.
Rumble, of Wallingford, Oxfordshire, was arrested in Pattaya, Thailand, last November on suspicion of drugs offences.
Rumble is due to enter a plea at Oxford crown court on February 20 and is thought to deny the charge against him. He was held in an operation by Thai cops in November.
While in Thailand he had posted photos of himself alongside celebrities, including boxing legend Ricky Hatton.
And Hatton himself has since spoken out - assuring fans they could still talk to him and that the picture had been taken a number of years ago.
He said: "Don’t panic you can talk to me!! Just to reassure everyone since I got back from holiday I’ve been straight back in the gym.
"Plus the picture printed is 100% from a trip several years ago as you’ll also be happy to know I no longer own that shirt.
"The gentleman in the picture I also don’t know. Obviously someone I’ve just had a picture with years previous."
According to the Department of Health this afternoon a total of 1,358 people have been tested for coronavirus in the UK, of which 1,350 were confirmed negative and eight positive.
SCHOOLS SHUT
Today's scare at Bullingdon comes as panicked parents were allowed to pull their kids out of school amid fears coronavirus has spread to classrooms.
Pupils at Cottesmore St Mary's Catholic and Bevendean Primary School were told they could stay at home after it was revealed three more people may have caught the deadly disease from Steve Walsh — dubbed the city's "super-spreader".
Headteachers alerted parents via email this morning to warn them of the potential coronavirus outbreak as staff members were advised to self-isolate after coming into "close contact" with the 53-year-old businessman.
Worried mum Fran Gray, 40, said she rushed 20 miles to pick up her daughter from school after a parent WhatsApp group alerted her.
"Everyone is panicking and going crazy," she told Sun Online.
The UK remains on high alert as a growing number of people are tested for the highly contagious virus — labelled Covid-19 by the World Health Organisation.
Meanwhile, three patients have tested positive for the bug after initially being given the all-clear.
The cases in US and Japan sparked fears of "silent carriers" where can be infected while believing they are healthy.
It comes after medics wearing hazmat suits were spotted in universities and health centres across the country.
Similarly a student from the University of Bath, suspected of having the killer-flu, is in self-isolation awaiting results of a test.
Elsewhere, Boundary House Surgery in Bracknell, Berkshire, was put on lockdown earlier today to ensure a deep clean is carried out over coronavirus fears — sparking panic among locals.
Unconfirmed reports suggests that someone — who potentially has the deadly SARS-like virus — had booked into the extended-hours surgery after returning from Thailand.
Two people from Cottesmore St Mary's Catholic Primary School — where 'super-spreader' Mr Walsh's children attend — are currently in self-isolation for the next 14 days.
The school today would not clarify if the two patients are pupils or teachers.
Meanwhile, a teacher was "self-isolated" at Bevendean Primary School — prompting parents to "shake with fear".
Britain is facing a major coronavirus outbreak and Brighton is at its centre because it is home to businessman Mr Walsh, 53, who infected at least 11 people across Europe and the UK over the past two weeks.
'SUPER SPREADER'
Worryingly, coronavirus cases in the UK doubled to eight yesterday after four more patients tested positive for the killer bug.
The new cases — three men and a woman — are all known contacts of the 53-year-old scout leader who was diagnosed last week.
But the dad-of-two from Hove, who is still in quarantine at St Thomas' Hospital in London, says he is now fully recovered.
After landing back in the UK, Mr Walsh visited local boozer the Grenadier Pub, Hove, between 7pm and 9pm last Saturday.
But after popping in for a casual pint, five members of staff at the popular watering hole have since been forced to self-isolate at home for two weeks.
Dr Catriona Greenwood is thought to be one of the two medics infected — and may have passed the bug on to patients.
It comes after a second doctor's surgery in the city, the Warmdene surgery , closed.
Dr Greenwood works as a locum at the practise which has since been shut for decontamination as officials scramble to trace patients to be tested.
The surgery is part of the same practise as the County Oak Medical Centre, which was closed while staff in hazmat suits deep cleaned the surgery yesterday afternoon.
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