There were a shocking eight incidents of boiling water being used to attack prison officers across five Scottish prisons in 2024.
There were three incidents reported at HMP Barlinnie(Image: PA)
An alarming spate of of boiling water attacks on Scots prison officers has sparked calls for a ‘kettle ban’ in jailhouses.
There were a shocking eight incidents of boiling water being used to attack prison officers across five Scottish prisons in 2024.
A Freedom of Information has lifted the lid on the violent assaults where kettles are being weaponised to inflict harm, the Scottish Daily Express reports.
According to the data, obtained by the Scottish Conservatives, there were three incidents in HMP Barlinnie, two in HMP and YOI Polmont, and one each in HMP Edinburgh, HMP Glenochik and HMP Low Moss, last year.
The data has promoted Scots Tories to call for an urgent review of what prisoners are given access to kettles.
They claim that all inmates, including those designated as high-risk and requiring a higher degree of supervision, currently have access to kettles, with limited exceptions.
There were eight incidents of boiling water attacks last year(Image: PA)
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Shadow Justice Secretary Liam Kerr MSP said: “Given the number of boiling water attacks on prison officers in the past year alone, it’s simply common sense that high-risk prisoners should not have access to kettles.
“There is also a clear need for an urgent review on whether all other prisoners should have access to kettles given the clear risk they pose to prison staff and fellow inmates.
“These alarming and unacceptable figures must act as a wake-up call to the SNP government.
“Ministers have a duty of care to brave and dedicated prison officers – and that means acting now to reduce the chances of future, potentially catastrophic, attacks involving boiling water.”
It comes after a kettle was reportedly used as part of a boiling water attack on a prison officer in HMP Belmarsh in England by Southport murder Axel Rudakubana earlier this year.
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Prison Service said: “While people in our care do have access to kettles, these are removed if considered a risk to the individual or others.”