LONDON (Reuters) - The British government has taken over the running of a major prison from contractor G4S after an inspection found that staff locked themselves in offices to avoid prisoners who were using drugs and violence with near impunity.
The Ministry of Justice said on Monday it had taken back the running of HMP Birmingham for an initial six-month period to counter "squalid" conditions where blood, urine, vomit and faeces were left in cells, showers and corridors, attracting rats and cockroaches.
Inspectors to the prison said they were physically affected by the drugs in the atmosphere while their cars were set on fire during an arson attack.
Peter Clarke, Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales, said he had not seen anything like it before.
