Detainees moved after disturbance

Campsfield was converted to a detention centre in 1993

More than 120 detainees at an immigration centre near Oxford will be moved after a disturbance, the Home Office has said.

Riot police were called to Campsfield House in Kidlington. Several fire engines and ambulance crews were also called to the site.

A Home Office spokesperson said an assessment was needed to see how much damage had been caused.

The CCTV system was broken and parts of the "fabric" of the building damaged.

The spokesperson said the disturbance broke out in one of three blocks on the site when officers tried to move a detainee ready for deportation.

'Still operational'

He said: "This appears to have been a deliberate attempt to frustrate the removal of a detainee.

"No detainees escaped, there are no reports of any serious injuries and no risk to the public.

"Two out of the three blocks were unaffected by the disturbance and Campsfield itself is still operational."

A total of 128 detainees from the affected block are being moved to other detention centres across the country.

Broke things

Supporters from the Campaign to Close Campsfield said that "a handful" of detainees had broken CCTV cameras and light fittings, flooded toilets and set fire to blankets.

They said the violence erupted shortly after officers entered the cell of a detainee.

A handful of detainees "went wild and broke things", he said.

Since it opened in 1993, the centre has seen a number of disturbances including escapes, a rooftop protest, hunger strikes and a campaign to have it shut.

In August, 26 men escaped during disturbances and in March, seven officers and two detainees were hurt when rioting broke out.

On both occasions officers in riot gear were brought in to restore order at the centre, which holds about 200 male inmates.