Guns all for show

Armed police were called in af ter London residents reported gunshots and screaming – which turned out to be from a street theatre production.

Inmates in Low Moss, in Bishopbriggs, near Glasgow, have been attacked by other prisoners 50 times in the last four years.

Wardens had to deal with 16 assaults on cons in 2015 alone.

Saughton in Edinburgh was the nation’s second most violent jai l with 42 attacks. Perth was third with 41 v iolent incidents.

Low Moss, which reopened in 2012, manages prisoners with both short and long sentences.

Holding 784 inmates and staffed by 300 officers, it has been plagued with violence and disorder.

Last year, inmates did almost £60,000 worth of damage during a series of disturbances.

A Low Moss insider said: “The jail is very modern and has some great facilities. But it is also home to some very violent men. Guys serving short sentences are the most volatile. Long-term inmates want to keep their head down.”

Sc ot t ish Tor y ju st i c e spokesman Douglas Ross said: “This shows that just because a jail has modern facilities, it doesn’t make it a safer place.

“The Scottish Government should ensure the focus is on controlling prisoners’ behaviour and rehabilitation, rather than kitting out jails with hi- tech equipment.”

The Scottish Prison Service said: “We do not tolerate any acts of violence and procedures exist to reduce such risk to a minimum.

“Where appropr iate, the circumstances are reported to the police for action.”