Talks over prison staff attacks

Locking up at Maghaberry prison

Attacks on Northern Ireland prison staff will be discussed at a meeting between prison officers' representatives and the security minister.

Jane Kennedy is due to meet senior members of the Prison Officers' Association, including its national chairman Colin Moses and spokesman Finlay Spratt, on Thursday.

Mr Spratt said he hoped the minister would agree to the extra security measures of prison officers' homes.

"We have laid this problem in front of the minister now for two or three months. She has undertaken to meet us today," Mr Spratt said.

"We are certainly going to seriously try and resolve this. But at the end of the day, it is the minister who has to make this decision to grant these facilities to prison officers."

Action cancelled

Prison officers had threatened to take industrial action following attacks on five members of staff at the high security Maghaberry prison outside Lisburn, County Antrim, last month.

They also said they would refuse to work overtime in an effort to strengthen their demand for increased security measures at their homes.

However, they received a letter from Ms Kennedy saying legal action would be taken if they broke the law by taking industrial action, planned for Wednesday.

However, that letter has now been withdrawn and the threatened action was called off to allow talks to take place.

The attacks on homes of serving and former prison officers have been linked to a prisoners' dispute at the jail.

Major flooding

Earlier this week, prison officers in England, Scotland and Wales, said they would take the appropriate action if their colleagues in Northern Ireland were disciplined for taking industrial action.

Meanwhile, visits to part of Maghaberry prison were cancelled on Wednesday after 16 cells were badly damaged during serious disturbances.

Visits were cancelled in part of the jail

There was major flooding in Foyle House after prisoners pulled sinks and toilets off the walls, in violence which lasted throughout Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.

According to prison sources, many of the inmates involved were affiliated to dissident republican groups.

The Northern Ireland Office said the disturbances began at about 2000 GMT on Tuesday when a snooker table was set alight.

When prisoners were locked up, they began damaging their cells, pulling out toilets and sinks. It was also claimed mattresses were set alight.

No prison officers were injured during the trouble.

Visits to Foyle House were cancelled on Wednesday and prisoners remained locked up as repairs were carried out to the damaged cells.

A Northern Ireland Office spokesman said the situation would be re-assessed on Thursday.

In September, a review of safety at Maghaberry recommended separating republican and loyalist prisoners.

The move was being introduced in the wake of violent clashes between rival groups in the jail and in the face of a "dirty protest" by a group of dissident republican prisoners.

As well as paramilitary prisoners, Maghaberry houses male and female prisoners, whether they are convicted or on remand, and a number of asylum seekers.