A major fire broke out after a riot yesterday afternoon by detainees of the UK's flagship and Europe's largest detention centre, Yarls Wood. This is the latest of a series of continuing protests at Yarlswood since it opened in November 2001, against detainees being subjected to punitive conditions.

It is not known how the fire started, though detainees are adamant that the fire started in the reception centre, which they did not have access to. It is reported that attempts by security staff at the centre to remove to hospital an elderly sick detainee in handcuffs started the protest. The detainee had been ill for the last three days and other detainees felt she should have been moved to hospital immediately.