Lags at ‘Monster Mansion’ have chips taken off menu after smashing up deep-fat fryers

INMATES at Britain’s most notorious prison had chips taken off the menu because they couldn’t be trusted to cook with the deep-fat fryers.

Lags at HMP Wakefield in Yorkshire – nicknamed ‘Monster Mansion’ – were restricted to scoffing the carb-heavy side dish only once a week, sparking a fierce backlash.

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Jail bosses made the controversial decision after six fryers broke or were smashed up by crooks working in the kitchen.

In one case, a prisoner turned the fryer up beyond its maximum level while cleaning it.

It sparked a minor kitchen fire which was put out “extremely quickly” by guards, preventing a more serious blaze.

Details of the lags’ kitchen nightmares were revealed in an independent monitoring board report released earlier this month.

Inspectors said 46 inmates worked in the kitchen, but noted: “There has been a higher-than-average turnover of the prison workforce this year, mainly due to poor prisoner behaviour.

“This impacted the food offering provided by the kitchen; the cooking of chips was particularly problematic, much to the frustration of prisoners and staff alike."

Lags made 84 complaints about the quality or availability of food though inspectors found it handled most day-to-day problems well.

Wakefield holds 300 crooks serving a life sentence and a slew of rapists, killers and vulnerable prisoners.

A Prisons Service spokeswoman said: “All meals offered to prisoners meet nutritional guidelines and all prisoners and staff have been briefed on fire safety when cleaning equipment.”