PRISON bosses have denied that staff had to hide in the chapel at Winchester Prison after disorder in the exercise yard.
The latest outbreak of violence happened on Sunday February 27, the BBC reported.
It said staff came close to losing control of an exercise yard and were forced to seek shelter in the chapel.
A Prison Service spokesperson denied that any staff had been injured or that they had retreated to safety.
It was unclear how many inmates will face disciplinary action.
READ MORE HERE: Winchester Jail still too violent say watchdogs
The Prison Officers Association said they had warned about dangerously low staffing levels and that a vote of no confidence had been passed in the prison management.
In a statement this evening the service said: “An incident was resolved swiftly at HMP Winchester by skilled prison officers.
“We are committed to retaining staff and providing a safe environment for them to develop their careers. Governors at HMP Winchester are already introducing an enhanced overtime scheme while filling temporary vacancies from other prisons.”
An improved overtime scheme and enhanced pay has been agreed and staff have been redeployed to cover shifts at Winchester.
SEE ALSO: Fire tackled at Winchester Prison
The BBC reported Mark Fairhurst, national chairman of the Prison Officers' Association (POA), saying it was "a shame" that senior managers at the prison have not taken on board concerns raised by the staff "consistently" over the last few weeks.
"Ignoring concerns doesn't make them go away and it's just a shame it's come to this," he added.
The Victorian prison was opened in 1846 and is a category B and C men's prison.
The most recent report last autumn by the Independent Monitoring Board said the jail has chronic levels of violence over a number of years.
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