Officers at one of UK’s most unsafe jails ‘yell at lags like in Porridge’

Warders in one of Britain’s most dangerous jails have been blasted for yelling at inmates like the characters in TV’s Porridge.

Inspectors tore a strip off prison officers in HMP Winchester for bellowing at lags – and calling them by their surnames.

That was how fictional warder Mr Mackay, played by Fulton Mackay addressed cons such as Fletcher, played by Ronnie Barker, in the hit 70s BBC1 jail comedy.

But modern-day guards have been ordered not to copy him to avoid upsetting real-life inmates.

A report by Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor into Winchester jail, Hants, said: “Staff continued to use surnames routinely when addressing prisoners.

“It was not uncommon to hear surnames bellowed from the ground floor to summon prisoners from around the wing.

“Staff would unnecessarily yell orders at the top of their voices when in the vicinity of those they were addressing.

“Not only was this unnecessary, but it also demonstrated a lack of insight into the impact of shouting on those who had suffered trauma in the past.’’

The report added it was expected prisoners should be “treated with respect by staff throughout their time in custody”.

It said Winchester was “one of the least safe prisons in the country” with “rates of assaults on staff” the highest of all local jails.

Despite the watchdog’s criticisms 57% of inmates believed staff treated them respectfully.

The inspection, which also found “some examples of friendly and supportive interactions between staff and prisoners”, came five years after guards at the 700-capacity Hampshire jail were told to refer to inmates as “men” rather than “prisoners or offenders”.

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