POLICE are investigating claims that prisoners at top-security Whitemoor Prison, March, were racially abused by staff. Detectives said their inquiry was in its early stages . A police spokeswoman said a number of inmates had made allegations, including c
POLICE are investigating claims that prisoners at top-security Whitemoor Prison, March, were racially abused by staff.
Detectives said their inquiry was in its "early stages".
A police spokeswoman said a number of inmates had made allegations, including complaints that some assaults were racially motivated.
She said the inquiry was being headed by a detective chief inspector. No one had been arrested.
The Guardian reported that several firms of solicitors were pursuing complaints on behalf of prisoners.
Lubia Begum-Rob, a solicitor at the Prisoners' Advice Service, told the newspaper: "I am most concerned that the largest numbers of complaints I deal with are persistently from prisoners held in HMP Whitemoor.''
Solicitor Dan Rubinstein, who is representing several Whitemoor prisoners, also told The Guardian: "I'm very concerned because of the sheer number of incidents occurring in one prison.
"This has got to be more than a coincidence. The situation appears to be worse in Whitemoor than anywhere else.''
He said the "scale and the repetitiveness of the assaults'' indicated a serious problem.
A Prison Service spokesman said he could not comment on continuing investigations.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here