Police probe abuse claims at 'race killing' jail

An investigation has been launched into claims that prison officers at a young offenders’ institution at the centre of a judicial inquiry into the race-hate murder of a young Asian man laid bets on “Gladiator-style” fights between black and white inmates.

Guards at Feltham Young Offenders Institution in Middlesex, England were said to have put white youths and black youths in the same cells and accepted wagers on how long it would take for a brawl to start, according to The Sun newspaper.

They were also accused of putting “unsuitable” white offenders in the same cell and betting on when a fight would start, the newspaper claimed.

A spokeswoman for the Prison Service said it had launched an internal inquiry into the allegations and had passed details of the claims on to police.

Scotland Yard said the allegations were being assessed by its specialist officers.

The Sun claimed the investigation was first launched after leading members of the the Prison Officers Association learned of the allegations a month ago, but that specific details only emerged this week when a witness came forward.

A “Feltham insider” told the newspaper that a handful of officers had allegedly been involved and that the game was called “Gladiators” or “Colosseum”.

The insider also told how it had been alleged that unsuitable white offenders were put together, such as a teenager with a history of sexual abuse and another on remand on sex charges.

A Prison Service spokeswoman said: “The Prison Service has recently been made aware of similar allegations.

“The information has been passed to the police inquiry team and we have also commissioned an internal investigation.”

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said: “We can confirm the Metropolitan Police Service has been passed an allegation by Her Majesty’s Prison Service and an initial assessment is being undertaken by officers from the Specialist Crime Directorate.”

The allegations come in the week that a public inquiry was opened into the death of a young Asian prisoner who was beaten to death by his racist cell mate at Feltham Young Offenders Institution in March, 2000.

Zahid Mubarek, 19, was beaten to death with a table leg by Robert Stewart, who was jailed for life in October 2001 for his murder.