Prisoners use papier-mache to disguise breakout attempt

Staff at Exeter prison rumble plot by two artistic inmates who created fake brickwork to hide hole being dug through cell wall Prison staff foiled an apparent attempted breakout in which inmates allegedly hacked through a wall and disguised the hole they had left with fake bricks made out of papier-mache. Two inmates are said to have dug through the thick wall of a cell at Exeter prison and jammed the false, painted bricks into the gap to hide what they were doing. Unfortunately for them, a guard spotted masonry dust on the ground, while another staff member saw that the brickwork on the exterior wall of the second floor did not look quite right – and the plot was rumbled. Detective Constable Alex Bingham of Exeter police said: “We believe that two inmates may have orchestrated a move to one of the only cells that you could possibly dig from. “They dug through the wall and used papier-mache to fill in where the mortar had fallen out. They have then used paint to paint over what they have done. If you did a visual check of the cell you would not have noticed it.” The men are thought to have gained access to the arts and crafts department, where they obtained paint and materials to make the papier-mache. When the interior wall of the cell was inspected it was allegedly wet with paint and the bricks that had been removed were hidden under a bunk bed. Even if the inmates had made it out they would still have had to negotiate a high wall topped with razor wire to complete their escape. The two men, who have not been identified, were arrested and are being held at separate jails after being charged with attempting to escape lawful custody. A former inmate of Exeter prison said he was not surprised at the attempt. The ex-prisoner, who served a sentence at the prison a decade ago, claimed the walls were in a bad condition and prison officers rarely carried out checks on the fabric of the building. No one at the prison was available to comment. Crime Prisons and probation Steven Morris guardian.co.uk

Posted by on July 27, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.