Wandsworth prisoners suffer salmonella

Monday, 01 March 2010

PRISONERS are set to sue over a bout of food poisoning.

More than 300 inmates suffered diarrhoea and vomiting at Wandsworth jail last September.

They now plan to claim compensation if the Prison Service was to blame for the seven-day outbreak.

Some of the lags have asked solicitors to take their case.

Lawyer Simon O’Loughlin said: “About 80 have approached us.”

However Mr O’Loughlin, of solicitors Hodge Jones & Allen, added: “They are in the early stages, the case is still being investigated.”

When the then unknown bug struck, notices went up outside the jail warning that visiting was restricted.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has since confirmed that salmonella was to blame, but doctors are still looking into how prisoners caught the bug.

In December the agency said a full report would be published last month, but this has yet to appear.

Mr O’Loughlin said: “What happens with our clients will depend on the findings in the report.

“What hasn’t been confirmed is how it happened.

"That’s what the report is about – was there negligence on anyone’s part?

“Negligence is required if somebody is going to bring a personal injury claim.”

As for reports that dodgy egg sandwiches were to blame, he said: “We don’t know. Nothing has been confirmed.”

A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: “This is an ongoing matter so it would be inappropriate to comment.”

Email: newsdesk@slp.co.uk

For the full story, you can get a full online edition at www.slp-e-edition.co.uk

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