PRISON guards endured a prolonged stand-off with rampaging inmates after they were caught drinking home brew, it has emerged.A group of 10 prisoners rioted against officers at HMP Edmunds Hill in Stradishall, near Bury St Edmunds, damaging toilets and showers.

PRISON guards endured a prolonged stand-off with rampaging inmates after they were caught drinking home brew, it has emerged.

A group of 10 prisoners rioted against officers at HMP Edmunds Hill in Stradishall, near Bury St Edmunds, damaging toilets and showers.

Trouble erupted after the inmates were discovered in what the Home Office described as a “residential unit” at the prison drinking their own illicit, prison-brewed alcohol.

When ordered to return to their cells, the inmates rebelled, sparking a stand-off that lasted several hours into the next morning.

All 10 prisoners involved have been removed from the jail and now face disciplinary action by prison authorities.

Suffolk police was informed about the incident on September 23, although the force did not dispatch its personnel as the prison guards had managed to contain events.

A spokesman for the Home Office said: “There was a disturbance involving 10 prisoners. It started at 7.50pm on the evening of September 23 in their residential unit.

“They had been consuming home-made alcohol and refused to go back to their cells. They then caused damage to toilets and showers and prison officers were sent in.

“The situation was brought under control during the early hours of Sunday morning. They were then taken out to other prisons by 11am the following morning.

“Because there was criminal damage, the police have been notified in relation to any charges they might bring.

“In the scheme of things, this was not a big disturbance or anything. Home brew is against prison policy and the disturbance was contained by prison staff.”

Neither the prison governor, Norma Harrington, nor any members of the prison's Independent Monitoring Board were available for comment.

The category C prison, which serves East Anglia and the southeast, has three H-shaped blocks housing 67 men in shared and single accommodation.

In total the prison has capacity for 371 men serving less than one year or in the last nine months of long sentences.

Former drug addicts, the mentally ill and long-term inmates are not accepted at Edmunds Hill.

The prison used to be named Highpoint North was formally renamed Edmunds Hill in October 1993.

will.clarke@eadt.co.uk