FIREFIGHTERS today tackled the second blaze at a Scottish private prison within 11 days.
Crews from three stations were called to Addiewell Prison, Addiewell, West Lothian, after a fire in a prisoner’s cell shortly after 7.30am.
A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade said: “Once we gained access, the prisoner was removed and was placed in the care of the ambulance service.”
Fire crews were called out to a blaze on the evening January 12 at the jail, which houses 700 inmates and has been dubbed the “Addison” because of its supposedly hotel-like luxury.
Addiewell and Kilmarnock are Scotland’s only private prisons and have been criticised for being “cushy”, offering prisoners flat screen televisions and snooker tables to pass the time.
On January 2 it was reported that as many as 70 prisoners went on a riot, firing snooker balls as missiles and setting fires after taking control of a wing for three hours.
A Spokesperson for Sodexo, the company which runs the private prison, said: “This was a very minor incident and was immediately contained.”
