Drawings similar to the Islamic State (Isis) flag were found in the cell of a Muslim prisoner who planned to kidnap a prison officer, according to an internal report.
The prisoner, who has now been segregated, was said to have created detailed plans to break out of Isle of Wight prison by taking a prison officer hostage.
The alleged plot was uncovered when officers were tipped off by other prisoners and searched the man’s cell at the jail’s Parkhurst site earlier this month.
Details of the incident were contained in the weekly security bulletin of the National Offender Management Service, which is compiled for all prisons in England and Wales.
In the bulletin for the week ending 19 October, the document reportedly said “acting on intelligence a prisoner’s cell was searched”.
“Detailed escape plans involving taking a member of staff hostage were discovered.”
Activity at the prison was reportedly restricted while the accommodation and the prisoner’s associates were searched.
The Ministry of Justice played down the incident, saying only a basic description of the interior of the prison was found in the prisoner’s cell. It said the discovery by vigilant staff demonstrated the effectiveness of its security measures.
A source denied reports an Isis flag was found in the cell and said there was no threat to prison staff or other prisoners.
It is understood officers recovered drawings containing text that could be likened to Isis flags.
The prisoner, who was not a convicted terrorist, was being held in the jail’s close supervision unit and the incident is to be dealt with by the prison governor.
A prison source said the incident was being taken seriously but that there was no police investigation, indicating officials did not feel the matter warranted a criminal inquiry.
HMP Isle of Wight, a Category B jail, was created in 2009 through the merger of Parkhurst, Albany and Camp Hill prisons. The jail holds about 1,100 prisoners, including those classified as vulnerable as well as sex offenders and ordinary prisoners in mixed units.
