HMP Whitemoor: Terror police probe assault on prison officer

A prison officer at a maximum security jail has been attacked by two inmates wielding bladed weapons and wearing fake suicide vests.

The attack, in which four other prison staff were injured, happened this morning at HMP Whitemoor near March, Cambridgeshire, as cells were unlocked.

One officer, thought to be the initial target, was stabbed and slashed, the others had rushed to help.

One of the inmates is a terrorist prisoner, the other a violent offender.

The officer’s injuries are not thought to be life threatening and no arrests have been made.

The Met Police said its counter-terrorism command unit had been called in “due to certain circumstances relating to this incident”.

A spokesman said it was “deemed appropriate” for counter-terrorism officers to respond.

“However, we must stress that at this early stage of the investigation we are keeping an open mind with regards to any motives and enquiries to establish the full circumstances of the incident are ongoing,” they added.

A prison service spokesman said: “The incident was quickly resolved by our brave staff and our thoughts are with the injured officers at this time.

“We do not tolerate assaults on our hardworking officers and will push for the strongest possible punishment.”

In a tweet, the general secretary of the Prison Officers Association (POA), Steve Gillan, wrote: “Having liaised with the Whitemoor committee today an official statement will be made tomorrow morning by the POA in a press release.

“Nothing will be said on social media by the POA that compromises an ongoing police investigation into a very serious incident.”

HMP Whitemoor houses more than 400 Category A and B prisoners on three wings, including a number of the highest-risk inmates.

In February last year, a “small number” of prison staff there had to receive medical treatment after violence broke out.

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