A riot at Bedford Prison which saw up to 200 inmates go on the rampage, setting fires and even looting the medical room. The riot came to an end late on Sunday night after riot cops spent more than six hours trying to bring the disorder under control. Scores of prisoners flooded the jail’s gangways in chaotic scenes after the disturbance broke out shortly after 5pm.
The specialist riot cops were deployed at the category B prison in Bedford town centre after the riot broke out on Sunday afternoon, with cops cordoning off an area outside and emergency services on stand-by. The screws were forced to retreat to a “safe place” while large numbers of prisoners ran amok.
Sources say that the riot spread over more than one wing inside the prison, and footage from inside the facility posted online revealed chaotic scenes with scores of prisoners shouting and bellowing in walkways and gangways. At around 11pm, about half an hour before the riot was brought under control, there were reports of loud bangs or explosions coming from inside the prison.
Some reports claim that the riot started because of two prisoners being attacked by screws and due to overcrowded conditions inside the prison.
