Prison Mutiny at HMP Whitemoor
A group of prisoners who staged a violent 10-hour mutiny at HMP Whitemoor near March, Cambridgeshire, have been handed additional prison sentences.
Cambridgeshire Police reported that eight inmates initiated the rebellion at approximately 12:00 BST on 7 October 2022.
The prisoners constructed barricades using furniture and fashioned homemade weapons from kettles and table legs after refusing to return to their cells.
Detective Constable Emma Purser described the prisoners' behaviour, stating:
"The prisoners offered extreme violence towards staff."
During the incident, the group spread oil, shower gel, shampoo, and other substances on the floor, rendering the area too slippery for entry.
A national response team attempted to intervene around 20:00, but the prisoners had also created protective headgear to shield themselves from Pava spray and pyrotechnic flashes.
The group then withdrew to the cell of one of the eight prisoners, where they erected an additional barricade.
At about 22:00, the response team successfully regained control, and the prisoners were restrained.
Sentencing and Investigation
Cambridgeshire Police confirmed that the following prisoners received extended sentences:
Det Con Purser added:
"When sentencing, the judge noted that it was only because of the professionalism of the officers who went on to the wing and faced the violence that no-one was seriously hurt."
"This investigation was a lot of work over the past three years, with hours of CCTV footage to search through and interviews to carry out all over the country."
For more updates, follow Cambridgeshire news on , Facebook, Instagram, and X.
