PRISON staff at the notorious Wormwood Scrubs jail walked out yesterday over health and safety concerns.

Members of the Prison Officers Association (POA), who are barred from taking formal industrial action, gathered outside the west London facility in protest against a spate of recent incidents.

The action came just weeks after an inspection report sparked claims of “Dickensian squalor” at the prison.

POA spokesman Mike Rolfe said there had been assaults on staff, while so-called “legal highs” were said to have been thrown over the walls.

Speaking outside the prison, he said: “The jail is flooded with drugs, mobile phones and weapons.

“There are concerns for health and safety of staff, and they have decided to stay outside until they can seek assurances from management that their concerns will be addressed.”

He said about 50 staff were outside the prison.

“Staff have said that, if there’s an emergency inside the prison, they will send teams in to deal with it,” Mr Rolfe added.

The action, which was not planned, followed an emergency branch meeting, he said.

The Prison Service confirmed that an incident was under way, saying steps were being taken to resolve it.

“As a temporary measure, all prisoners will remain in cells and are being supervised. There is no danger to staff or the wider public,” the service said.

Earlier this year, Prime Minister David Cameron set out wide-ranging proposals for an overhaul of the prison system, including the creation

of six new “reform” prisons.

The shake-up will see the introduction of league tables, a move that proved highly controversial in the education sector and which has led critics to claim that the government has no new answers to the growing prison problem.

The Tories have announced plans to shut antiquated Victorian jails, however only the closure of HMP Holloway in north London has been confirmed so far.

POA leader Steve Gillan said members left the prison “reluctantly” and urged management to “engage with the union so that all who live and work at Wormwood Scrubs are safe from violent attacks.”