Specially trained officers overpower rioters armed with saws and chisels during jail protest

Order has been restored at the Aylesbury Young Offenders' Institution after teams of specially trained 'control and restraint' teams overpowered rioters.

The Ministry of Justice has launched an investigation into the disturbance which saw up to 100 prison officers, many in riot gear, fighting with inmates.

Police were called to the institution in Buckinghamshire at 11.46am and reports say 'substantial' damage has been caused to the workshops where the large group of inmates had barricaded themselves in.



Tom Robson, executive officer of the Prison Officers' Association, said it was a 'serious incident' and officers from other prisons had been called in to help.

The riot ended when specially-trained prison service staff intervened at 5pm.

There were no reports of any injuries to offenders or staff.

'We are happy to report that no-one has been injured in the incident and that order has been restored,' said a Thames Valley Police spokesman.

Sources said the inmates broke into the officers' mess and workshops and armed themselves with hammers, saws and chisels.

The Prison Service said it would conduct a full investigation into the circumstances of the incident. The police will also hold an investigation.

Most prisoners at Aylesbury are serving long sentences and there is a large ethnic minority population, according to a 2005 inspector's report. continues here

Violence takes over from shoplifting as the crime women most often commit

Violence has for the first time overtaken shoplifting as the most common crime by women, according to annual statistics released yesterday. 

During 2006-07 the number of women detained for violent offences reached 87,000 – an increase of 11 per cent on the previous year. The number arrested for theft and handling stolen goods was 80,000, down 6,400 on the previous year. 

The number of women held for robbery also rose, from 4,100 in 2005-06, to 4,400 in 2006-07, appearing to reflect a growing trend of violence by women. 

An increase in young girls and women being arrested for violent attacks occurred in every age group, from 10-17, 18-20 and 21 and over. Overall, the number of women arrested for violent offences has more than doubled in eight years. 

The figures, which were released by the Ministry of Justice, show that the largest increase in arrests of both men and women was in the category of violence against the person. 

The emergence of a “ladette” culture, linked to excessive alcohol consumption, has been blamed for violence by women. One criminologist said yesterday: “These figures suggest something significant is happening.” 

The increase could, however, be a result of changing police practices, in particular the need to meet a government target in 2007-08 of securing convictions for more than 1.2 million offences. This has been achieved. Criminologists and some officers have said that the target has encouraged police to focus on “easy pickings” resulting from disorder on the streets. 

There has been a steady rise in the number of women arrested for violence against the person since the turn of the century, when the figure stood at 37,100. This year the Youth Justice Board said that violent attacks by girls aged between 10 and 17 had risen by 50 per cent over the past three years. continues here