An inmate had to be taken to hospital after suffering injuries in a 'ten-man brawl' on a wing at Forest Bank prison in Salford.
It is understood violence erupted on C2, a wing which houses mostly younger men, yesterday (Monday).
A source familiar with the prison said a 'ten-man brawl' on the wing ended with one prisoner being taken to hospital after being 'badly assaulted'. They said one female member of staff had also been hurt.
It is the latest in a string of incidents at the troubled private-run prison, which is run operated by Sodexo on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
On January 4, an inmate died at the prison, the latest in a series of deaths there. Other fatalities include Michael McDonagh , 27, who was found unresponsive in his cell in February 2019 and 63-year-old Raymond Lucy, who was found dead in his cell in July of that year. More recently, an inmate died at the prison in June of last year.
In December firefighters were called to put out a fire at the prison. In October, the M.EN. reported how vandals damaged three cars belonging to staff. It followed a similar wrecking spree in July when another three cars were vandalised.
In May, the prisons' watchdog slammed the privately run prison which was 'unable to fill its role successfully'. Their report also noted 'an ongoing problem with mice'.
The damning report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons detailed 'cramped and overcrowded cells' in the category B jail. The watchdog's unannounced visit in February found the jail had 1,354 prisoners, nearly 300 above its baseline capacity.
The report was a major setback for the management of the prison. In January last year the Manchester Evening News reported Sodexo was to keep the contract for the time being after beefing up security and carrying out a major refurbishment.
This followed the issuing of a 45-day improvement notice by the government. The 'significant concerns and rectification notice' was slapped on the jail by the Ministry of Justice.
Sodexo's contract runs until 2025.
Today (Tuesday) a spokeswoman for HMP Forest Bank said: "We can confirm an incident took place on 9 January, and a prisoner was taken to hospital for medical attention."
It is understood there were 'no significant' injuries to staff.
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