Minister condemns prison violence as inquiry is launched

Inmates at Ford open prison in West Sussex have burnt down part of the jail during a riot there.

The fires destroyed six accommodation blocks, a mail room, a gym, a snooker room, and a pool room.

The Prison Officers' Association said the rioters had been detained, with six identified as ringleaders.

The Prisons Minister, Crispin Blunt, condemned the violence, saying those responsible would return to "closed" conditions. And he denied there were staffing problems at the institution.