
Hundreds of prisoners are being transferred from HMP Birmingham following the riots that took place yesterday.

A total of 240 inmates will be removed from the premises after 600 took over the Winson Green prison for 12 hours.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice confirmed the inmates will be distributed to other prisons across the country.

It is thought the riot was sparked with inmates reacted angrily to TVs not working.

Specialist officers who stormed the jail were covered in paint by inmates, and footage of the aftermath shows the inside of the prison smeared in white.

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Footage taken in the aftermath of the prison shows white paint which was thrown over specialist officers

A member of prison staff arrives at HMP Birmingham on Saturday morning after the disturbance on Friday at the prison

Prison staff carry riot shields on their way out of the prison after regaining control from the 300 inmates who rioted

A member of staff with a riot shield leaves the prison, and right, a workman goes into the prison, watched on by other staff members

Covered in paint: Members of the 'Tornado Team' at HMP Birmingham were covered in paint after a disturbance at the prison yesterday

He said: 'The prison remains calm and ordered with additional staff on site to offer support. The Prison Service will continue to work closely with G4S to manage the prison safely over the coming days.

'A full assessment of the damage is underway. Initial reports indicate that two wings suffered superficial damage with more serious damage to a further two wings.

'A limited regime is being offered to those who were not involved in the disturbance and staff continue to work closely with West Midlands Police.

'A thorough investigation into the disturbance is underway.'

Prison affairs academic Alex Cavendish tweeted around 200 have been moved out of the prison so far, and several were heard shouting they hadn't been fed for two days.

Last night, up to 300 riot officers stormed HMP Birmingham and won back control.

Tornado teams - made up of former SAS soldiers and specialist officers - were sprayed with paint, covering their helmets.

Sticking together: The 'tornado team', consisting of SAS soldiers and specialist officers, were called to help after G4S, who run the prison, were forced to hand over control to the Prison Service

Transportation time: The first prisoner transportation vehicle was sent to the prison in the early hours of this morning

Under control: More than 100 prison vans were photographed standing by at the Winson Green prison in the early hours of this morning after police regained control of the prison

Prisoners defeated: Tornado teams are sent to prisons to deal with major disturbances alongside fire fighters and paramedics in riot gear

Ratchet cuffs: Hundreds of inmates were caught up in the disorder, which was said to have been started after the prisoners were unhappy with a lack of heating, hot showers, 'c***' food and cut gym time

Ready to go: More transportation vans were photographed outside of the prison earlier today

Alex Cavendish tweeted around 200 prisoners have been moved out of the prison at 11.45am

Fire hoses were also used as weapons and security gates were rammed with a heavy metal food trolley.

A tweet by West Midlands Chief Constable Dave Thompson confirmed all public order trained officers would have been called to duty last night.

As a result, forces in Essex and Lancashire were recruited to police the streets during 'Black Eye Friday' - the most popular evening for work Christmas parties and one of the busiest nights of the year for emergency services.

Justice Secretary Liz Truss said said the incident will be investigated thoroughly.

'I want to pay tribute to the bravery and dedication of the prison officers who resolved this disturbance,' she said.

'I also want to give my thanks to West Midlands Police, who supported G4S and the Prison Service throughout the day, ambulance crews and the fire service who also provided assistance.

'This was a serious situation and a thorough investigation will now be carried out. Violence in our prisons will not be tolerated and those responsible will face the full force of the law.'

At least two wings, the pharmacy, gym and the exercise yard of the prison were in the hands of criminals after the prison went into lockdown at 9am on Friday morning.

Mr Cavendish said an 'inside informant' told him the trouble started after some keys were stolen from a prison officer, who was putting some inmates back in their cells after they were caught breaking lights.

He added the officer had been threatened with a 'used syringe'.

The scale of the disorder forced G4S to hand control of the Category B jail to the Prison Service.

March: Twelve hours after the riot broke out, prison officers took back control of the prison

In your face: Police officers in riot gear outside HMP Birmingham were prepared to storm the jail which became overrun

Protection: Officers with helmets and riot shields group together in a line before heading for HMP Birmingham

Team work: There are concerns that prisoners have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage inside the jail

G4S said one prisoner suffered a broken jaw and eye socket during the riot.

All prison staff were accounted for and none were injured, a Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said.

Mike Rolfe, national chairman of the Prison Officers Association, who last month protested over safety concerns, said more than 30 staff had left the jail in recent weeks and compared the trouble to the notorious Strangeways riot 26 years ago.

'This prison is a tough place to work, it serves a very big area, it serves a large, dangerous population of prisoners, but it's not unlike many other prisons up and down the country - ones that have very similar inmates,' he told BBC Radio 4's The World Tonight.

'And we've been warning for a long time about the crisis in prisons, and what we are seeing at Birmingham is not unique to Birmingham, but it certainly would seem that this is the most recent worst incident since the 1990 Strangeways riot.'

Mr Rolfe accused the Government of not funding the prison system properly and said such disturbances are becoming more frequent as a result.

The 53-year-old added offices had 'abandoned the wing' where the incident started.

According to protocol, if prisoners gain control of a set of keys, officers have to 'withdraw to a place of safety', Mr Cavendish said.

Inmates gained access to the offender management unit (OMU), where their paper records are stored. He added some were burnt during the riot.

Fire spread inside the G4S-run prison as inmates gave a running commentary on the violent disorder using mobile phones already smuggled into their cells.

Screaming inmates were heard earlier shouting 'I can't breathe' as they ran away from thick black smoke which filled corridors and cells.

Distraught relatives said their loved ones, who were without food and medicine, hung outside of windows calling for help.

G4S help: Staff for the security company arrive at HMP Birmingham on Friday afternoon after prisoners took over

Ready: Hundreds of riot officers stormed HMP Birmingham and took back control of the prison from rioting inmates

Armour: Police wore heavy riot gear to protect them from the prisoners who had caused bedlam in the Category B jail

Watch: Officers from across the country were called in to back up underfire colleagues who couldn't control the prison

Dog protection: Officers had to use dogs to try and control the rioting prisoners

Force in numbers: Extra police officers were called to HMP Birmingham after the prison was overrun at 9am on Friday

Team: Riot officers from across the country have been drafted in to help struggling colleagues at Winson Green

Ready: Riot police arrive at Winson Green prison in Birmingham on Friday night, run by security firm G4S, several hours after the disturbance started on Friday morning

Medical help: Paramedics dressed in riot gear were called after several prisoners were seriously injured during the riot

Riot continues: Officers carrying shields and heavy protective clothing prepare to go inside the prison and face the inmates

Support: A female police officer speaks to family members in the reception at Winson Green prison who were waiting to see their loved ones

An extra 80 prison and Tornado officers backed by police dogs were sent on Friday night to HMP Birmingham - Britain's third largest prison. Prisoners were heard shouting 'we want food' and had let off firecrackers off.

Tornado teams are sent to prisons to deal with major disturbances alongside firefighters and paramedics in riot gear. Roads were closed as police sealed the prison's perimeter.

The latest disturbance is the third in English prisons in less than two months.

One relative said her brother, who is a prisoner in HMP Birmingham, was 'screaming for help' during the riot.

'The smoke is that thick on the landing that he can't breathe,' she said. 'He said it is absolute chaos. He is screaming for help and they are not doing anything.'

The water supply to the prison was turned back on so prisoners could combat the spreading fires.

The chaos inside was revealed in social media photos showing two heavily-tattooed grinning inmates wearing helmets and clutching riot shields while swearing in selfies.

Chaos: Prisoners in riot gear take a selfie inside Britain's third biggest prison where 600 prisoners had taken over

Gloating: Two prisoners in Winson Green could not hide their excitement at getting hold of riot helmets and shields

Violence: Prisoners took over wings, the pharmacy and exercise areas by smashing through doors with batons (pictured) or opening them with keys

Carnage: Fires were lit inside the prison (pictured) as violence during the day increased with computers thrown from windows and property damaged

Inside control: Prisoners in HMP Birmingham called the outside world on smuggled in phones and said they had 'smashed up' the prison, left - and they claimed to have keys, right. The social media images were deleted soon afterwards

In control: This photograph appears to show inmates celebrating having a free run of much of the Winson Green prison

Fire: Smoke rises up from inside the Birmingham prison after reports that rioting inmates have let off firecrackers

Drama: Prisoners were in control of the central N and P wings and had been trying to get to the high security G wing where sex offenders are held

Another extraordinary image showed the keys taken from an officer threatened with a dirty syringe and an inmate smashing a door with a baton.

The pictures were posted on Twitter with the caption 'HMP Birmingham it's going off, the lags are taking over', then deleted within seconds.

Up to 600 men 'smashed up' and started fires in the Victorian jail because there has been no TV to watch and the gym is closed.

One source talking to the rioters said the prisoners had taken control of the gym and they were trying to take control of the health care.'

Speaking last night, the source said: 'They've taken control of the N and P wings. They are close to the G wing which is where the vulnerable prisoners including mainly sex offenders are. If they get into the G wing then it will cause uproar and there will be people killed tonight'.

On duty: Dozens of police officers and prison officers were drafted in to Winson Green prison after the violence escalated

Ready: Police march towards the Birmingham jail where 600 inmates have taken over two wings and the exercise yard

Aid: Paramedics in riot gear arrive at the Birmingham jail, where one prisoner may have a slashed neck and is one of several who were injured

Eye in sky: A police helicopter hovers over the giant jail, where prisoners were said to be in the exercise yard

More than 1,000 inmates were put in lockdown after trouble erupted. G4S officers were said to have been threatened and two are injured, one with a broken arm and another with a head injury. There were also reports of a 'badly injured' prisoner with a 'slashed' neck.

Mr Cavendish said officers started lights were broken inmates controlling fire hoses.

Prisoner Stefan Paraszko, 60, pictured, who was released yesterday, said: 'it's horrendous in there'

One prisoner said at the time: 'The guards have completely lost control. The TV antenna has been broken and we have not been able to watch TV for a couple of days now'.

One unnamed inmate added: 'I have been in riots before and this is, by far, the worst I've come across', while another prisoner on P Wing said: 'They cancel gym all the time, the showers are cold, the food is c**p, the heating is never on and we never get our mail on time. We've had enough'.

Another said: 'It's a dangerous place at the moment. People are walking around with knives and G4S have no control.'

The Government has warned that rioters will have their sentences extended.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said earlier: 'We are absolutely clear that prisoners who behave in this way will be punished and could spend significantly longer behind bars.'

Fire engines and ambulances were called amid reports the laundry room and gym may be alight and computers in a study area were used as missiles.

A steady stream of prison officers in black overalls carrying riot shields and equipment arrived on foot and in vans.

One of the specially-trained units of up to 15 men and women had arrived from HMP Long Lartin near Evesham, Worcestershire.

As a police helicopter hovered overhead, curious motorists drove past the jail as the build-up of emergency services, including ambulances, continued.

Response: A Tornado team made up of former SAS soldiers and specialist officers (pictured) were sent in with riot shields

Riot: Firefighters arrive at Britain's third biggest prison, which was in the midst of a riot after prisoners snatched keys and threatened an officer with a syringe

Patrol: Sniffer dogs were being used at the scene but prison officials insisted the public and residents were safe

Help: A steady stream of prison officers in black overalls carrying riot shields and equipment arrived on foot and in vans

Shield: Equipment is carried into HMP Birmingham after the disturbance by prisoners spread to two further wings

Injuries: Officers were threatened and two were injured, one with a broken arm and another with a head injury

Back up: Uniformed officers arrived in riot vans and surrounded the perimeter of HMP Birmingham - Britain's third largest jail

Law and order: Officers had also filed into the main entrance of the prison, parts of which are not are out of control

Insight: Winsome Moncrieffe-Mithcell said six inmates had 'gone crazy' because they denied their medication

Protection: Paramedics dressed in special suits used in riots and terror attacks enter the prison with medical supplies and water

People waiting to visit loved-ones inside - or waiting for their release - said they could hear blaring alarms coming from up to four wings.

The prison is run by private firm G4S and has endured a series of controversies this year, including deaths of inmates. In 2011 they had to spend £500,000 on new locks for every door when bungling guards lost some keys.

An inmate from inside P Wing said: 'It started with seven of them on the netting and it just escalated from there. Everything was getting smashed up though. The windows were being smashed up and fires were set.

'I'd never seen anything like this before. The biggest issue for most of us is the lack of exercise. They have stopped from using the gym and from having any exercise. When we were told that we were not getting exercise everyone went mad. They have had enough.

'We saw some guards near the doors with shields and helmets earlier but they all ran off. It means the prisoners were able to move between the two wings. I would say there were about 400 of us and no guards at all.'

One said that an inmate died two weeks ago, and the alleged suicide has upset the prisoners. Another said six inmates have 'gone crazy' because they were denied their medication.

Emergency: G4S was believed to be awaiting national assistance to recover the two wings involved in the incident

Family: People waiting to visit loved-ones inside - or waiting for their release (pictured through the glass) said they could hear blaring alarms

Former prisoner Stefan Paraszko, 60, who was released on Thursday, said: 'I was there for four-and-a-half months and there's been a few deaths in that time.

'I didn't see anything kick off but it's horrendous in there.

'There's a lack of staff and they don't give a s***. You're not scared of the prison officers. You don't look up to them. Nobody has time for anything. Everyone always says they're too busy.'

Facebook user Winsome Moncrieffe-Mitchell called for the Army to be brought in.

She said: 'Mutiny at Winson Green prison right now over medication not being subscribed. 6 inmates gone crazy.

'Smashing up the place right now making it worse for others chu. See what too much cut backs can do, now the officers are hiding the inmates have taken the keys and open two floors of doors.

'Praying hard no one gets hurt. Army needs to get there fast.'

The Victorian category B prison, which was built in 1849 and is close to the city's centre in Winson Green, can hold 1,450 adult remand and sentenced male prisoners.

It is understood that the admin office the prisoners had gained access to is part of one of the two wings which were sealed off.

Inside: The Victorian category B prison run by G4S, which was built in 1849 and is close to the city's centre in Winson Green, can hold 1,450 adult remand and sentenced male prisoners.

A prison insider previously revealed problems at the prison, including drug smuggling.

He said: 'Before G4S took over there were lots of experienced staff who were paid good money. Now they've got new less experienced staff in who can't cope.

'Threats, drugs - it's almost constant. Drones are buzzing all over Winson Green.'

In 2014 it emerged G4S was forced to spend almost half a million pounds changing all of the locks at a prison they were contracted to run - after blundering guards lost the keys.

The firm has to replace every lock and key at HMP Birmingham, known as Winson Green jail, when the set of keys vanished in October 2011 - costing £499,000.

The embarrassing blunder came just days after G4S took over the management of the prison - with 1,400 being confined to their cells while the premises was searched.

The gaffe is just one in a series of embarrassments for the company - who had to pay out £70million after failing to provide enough guards for the London Olympics.

Quarters: The riot is believed to have started in the P Wing when a prison officer was overpowered by inmates

Formerly known as Group 4 - the company earned an unfavourable reputation for losing prisoners they were minding.

The latest disturbance is the third in English prisons in less than two months.

On November 6 a riot at category B Bedford Prison saw up to 200 inmates go on the rampage, flooding the jail's gangways in chaotic scenes.

Just days earlier, on October 29, a national response unit had to be brought in to control prisoners during an incident at HMP Lewes in East Sussex.

A spokesman from the Prison Governors Association said the disturbance at the Birmingham jail 'comes at a very difficult time for Noms (National Offender Management Service) on the back of recent riots and at a time when the prison estate is already bursting at the seams'.

Shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon said the disturbances at the Birmingham jail were 'hugely concerning' and claimed the Justice Secretary was 'failing to get this crisis under control'.

Tory chairman of the Commons Justice Committee, Robert Neill, told Channel Four News the Government had been warned by his watchdog group of MPs that a 'time bomb was ticking' as prisons were in 'crisis'.

When it was suggested this could be the worst prison riot in years, Mr Neill said: 'Certainly looking that way, yeah, and this is a problem which has happened both in privately and publicly-run systems, so it applies across the piece.

'I think that does indicate that we have got a situation where if people are locked down 22/23 hours a day, as we have discovered, that breeds tension, that breeds violence, and, as you rightly say, we are not actually keeping prisons secure enough to stop contraband getting in.'

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott told Channel Four News 'private companies should not be involved in taking away people's liberty. Actually, it's clear that G4S don't have the quality of staff to manage a crisis like this.'