LACK of staff at Erlestoke Prison is being blamed for a week of violence and unrest which has resulted in two wings being closed after a riot at the weekend.

Mark Fairhurst an executive committee member of the Prison Officers Association said yesterday that officers had not been able to carry out their normal checks and searches in the lead up to the trouble on Saturday.

He said: "On Saturday there were only 15 staff on duty to cover 500 prisoners. It meant they were confined to their cells and frustration boiled over. The officers were not able to do their normal patrols.

"This problem is not confined to Erlestoke but is happening all over the country but you do not expect something like this to happen in a sleepy place like Erlestoke.

"The number of assaults on officers is increasing and there are more fights among prisoners."

He said that problems at Erlestoke had also been caused by a change in the profile of many prisoners. He said: "Prisoners are being recategorised as C as there is not enough places in the Cat B prisons.

"This means there are feral, violent young men who have no regard for discipline coming into Erlestoke. It changes the whole atmosphere."

It is understood that trouble had been brewing for a while at Erlestoke before a roof top protest on Monday alerted the authorities to a new sense of trouble. Two prisoners climbed on to the roof of an administration building and remained there for several hours.

During the week there were a number of violent incidents. An insider at the prison told the Gazette this week: "There were two serious assaults after fighting between prisoners lead to one male getting 'pool balled' and another 'shanked' across the face with an improvised bladed weapon made from a tooth brush with a razor blade melted into it.

"Also two prisoners gained access to the roof of the administration and reception block, and did what is estimated to be up to £50,000 worth of damage, when a request they had made to staff was not fulfilled.

"Rival gangs, bullying and intimidation are common place at the prison with staff having to deal with unsuitable category B prisoners, at a Category C/D prison."

This week prison governor Steve Hodson and the Ministry of Justice refused to comment on specific incidents or lack of staff.

A ministry spokesman said in relation to the unrest on Saturday: "“On Saturday 11th June two separate incidents involving a small number of prisoners were successfully resolved at HMP Erlestoke.

“A safe regime is running at the prison, but following some structural damage a number of prisoners have been transferred to other prisons.

"We are absolutely clear that prisoners who behave in this way will be punished and can spend significantly longer behind bars. Those suspected of being actively involved have been moved to higher security prisons and are subject to an ongoing police investigation.

"There was some structural damage to two wings which is still being assessed."

Mr Fairhurst said that now 130 prisoners had been moved officers were happy that a settled regime had returned. He said: "Our first priority is the health and safety of our members."