TERRORIST inmates in a North-East jail have rioted following a tense stand-off with prison officers – causing thousands of pounds-worth of damage.

Nine convicts, the majority Muslim, smashed up cells in the top-security Frankland Prison, near Durham City, late on Sunday night, causing £20,000-worth of damage.

One prison officer was hurt during the four-hour siege.

The convicts had been in the jail’s segregation unit since a brawl in June, which involved about 12 prisoners and left two inmates and four officers with injuries.

It is understood prison staff had tried to move them back to their usual cells, but they resisted, demanding they be transferred to other prisons.

The protest turned violent at about 10.30pm on Sunday.

It was three-and-a-half hours before calm was restored.

Nine prisoners were involved, smashing up their cells and wrecking furniture.

The prison authorities called for back-up before launching a carefully-planned intervention to bring the incident to an end. Twenty-four officers were involved.

The injured officer suffered ligament damage to his hand and was taken to hospital.

Order was restored at about 2am. Last night, the inmates involved remained in the segregation unit.

It is thought the incident is connected to a fight that broke out in a communal area of the prison shortly after inmates were allowed out of their cells for exercise, at about 5pm on Friday, June 27.

In that incident, one inmate was slashed across the face with a suspected homemade knife. Another was punched and kicked and a prison officer suffered a broken arm.

The June brawl happened hours after a fire broke out in a cell, thought to be that of al Qaida terrorist Kamel Bourgass.

Reports claimed the fight was revenge for the fire, but a Frankland spokeswoman said there was no evidence to suggest a link.

Frankland is home to some of the country’s most dangerous criminals. Over the past year, there have been a number of clashes between white and Muslim inmates.

Mudassar Arani, a lawyer representing al Qaida terrorist Eesa Barot, who was scarred for life when boiling oil was poured over his head and body in Frankland, claimed it had a “white supremacist”

culture.

Sunday’s incident comes at a time of heightened concern about conditions inside Britain’s maximum security jails.

In May, a report by the Prison Service’s Directorate of High Security claimed prison officers were losing control of jails to Muslim gangs.

Prison officers at Frankland are said to be outraged at suggestions of racism in their ranks, but remain proud of the work they do and upbeat about the situation in the jail.

A new report on how Frankland’s prison managers and officers deal with race relations inside its walls is expected to be published soon.