Watchdog: Warnings raised repeatedly about low prison staffing levels

A spate of prison riots erupted after warnings were raised repeatedly about low staffing levels across the estate, according to a watchdog.

John Thornhill, president of the National Council of Independent MonitoringBoards, said the disturbance at HMP Birmingham is "yet more evidence" ofconcerns about rising levels of violence.

He said IMBs - which provide a monitoring presence in every prison in England and Wales - have regularly questioned staffing levels and regimes across many establishments in recent years.

He warned that low staffing levels mean prisoners are denied access to a range of facilities.

On Monday afternoon, Justice Secretary Liz Truss will address MPs on the riot at HMP Birmingham, which saw hundreds of inmates wreak havoc in the jail.

And there were also warnings that violence could spread to other facilitiesamid "simmering tensions" after 240 offenders were transferred from Birmingham.

Hundreds of inmates were caught up in the disorder on Friday over four wings of the category B prison, which is run by private firm G4S.

Riot squads and specially-trained prison guards took back control after more than 12 hours of chaos in which stairwells were set on fire and paper records destroyed.

It emerged at the weekend that an IMB report on Birmingham published earlier this year warned that staff feared violence at the prison because of the prevalence of drugs.

Campaign groups have called for prison numbers to be lowered to reduceovercrowding.