HMP Birmingham: 'Armed' men set fire to cars outside Winson Green prison
Masked gunmen set fire to a cars outside HMP Birmingham before fleeing the scene.
West Midlands Police officers are searching for the two thugs behind the attack in the staff car park at the prison, known locally as Winson Green.
The pair used an angle-grinder to make a hole in the fence just before 1.30pm today to gain access, then threw liquid over a number of vehicles.
They set light to them and the blaze immediately spread to other cars parked nearby.
The fire service were quickly on the scene to douse the blaze which left nine cars damaged.
The offenders made off in another vehicle.
Detective constable James Farrell from Force CID said: “Firearms officers were at the prison within minutes, but the offenders had already fled.
“No-one has been injured, but prison staff were understandably alarmed by the incident.
“The motive for the attack is unclear, but we are trawling CCTV to trace the car which made off from the scene."
Ten firefighters worked to put out the blaze after being called at around 1.25pm. They left by around 4.30pm.
A spokesman for G4S, which owns HMP Birmingham, said: "At approximately 13:30 this afternoon an incident took place in the car park across the road from HM Prison Birmingham.
"Nobody has been injured.
"West Midlands Police and the fire service are in attendance, and a fire has been extinguished."
