INMATES at the high-security Long Lartin prison attacked staff with pool balls and took over a wing last night, intensifying calls for greater prison staff protections.

The incident at the prison in Worcestershire was so serious that a specially trained Tornado riot team had to be called in to regain control in the early hours today.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) claimed that around 20 inmates were involved and said it would “push for the strongest possible punishment for those involved — including more time behind bars.”

Part of the jail was damaged and one officer required hospital treatment for head injuries.

It was the latest in a series of disturbances across Britain’s crumbling jails and has led to calls from the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) for better safety precautions for staff.

The number of prison officers has been slashed under the Tories and despite recent attempts to hire more, it remains well below 2010 levels.

The short-staffing crisis has led to a surge in attacks on prison officers and POA national chairman Mark Fairhurst said his members were facing the “most hostile and violent workplace in western Europe.”

POA general secretary Steve Gillan said the prison service needs to “take stock of these recurring incidents and sit down with the POA and draw up an action plan that actually means something.”

The union says it was “abhorrent” that the MoJ has taken out a permanent injunction to stop prison officers going on strike and has also repeatedly called for staff to be equipped with Pava incapacitant spray for protection at work.

Mr Fairhurst said: “If the employer listened to the POA instead of attempting to injunct us, our prisons could become places of rehabilitation instead of the war zones they currently are.

“The rollout of Pava must now become a priority and must not be subject to criteria or delay.”

Riots at Long Lartin have become an annual occurrence. Last September six prison officers suffered injuries, including a suspected broken jaw, after a day of rioting.

And in October 2017 staff were forced to retreat after 81 inmates, again armed with pool balls, took over a wing.