Sex fiend prison is heaving

LAGS SUE OVER BUG

FIFTY men held at Europe’s biggest jail for sex offenders are to sue after a mass vomiting outbreak.

Inmates at Whatton jail, inset, are in line for compensation after falling violently ill.

They could claim between £1,000 and £5,000 each if the prison admits liability.

Lags held inside the Nottinghamshire unit suffered sickness and diarrhoea last year.

An investigation is under way to find the cause of the outbreak.

One source told us: “Prisoners started to go down like flies overnight. Staff could not cope.

“This could cost the Ministry of Justice tens of thousands in compensation.

“It’s galling because sex offenders are considered the worst of the worst.”

One theory is that prisoners on one unit suffered food poisoning.

They were offered a choice of hot meals, sandwiches or a veggie option a few hours before the sickness started. ANDY GARDNER A chicken meal was eaten by many of the men. Staff at the category C prison, near Bingham, were not affected. Glyn Travis of the Prison Officers Association said: “Jails are ideal places for mass sickness. “Any instance of food poisoning or a bug is going to hit prisoners and staff fast. “It’s another challenge for overworked officers.” Bosses are blaming the winter vomiting bug Norovirus. It can be ingested from contaminated food or water. Whatton jail is the biggest sex offender-only prison in Europe with room for 1,966 inmates. A Prison Service spokesman said: “Staff at HMP Whatton worked closely with Public Health England to contain and deal with an outbreak of Norovirus. “The safety and welfare of the prisoners at Whatton is a priority, with 24-hour access to healthcare services provided.”