Around 50 staff are reportedly outside Wormwood Scrubs, claiming the prison is "flooded" with drugs, mobile phones and weapons.
14:09, UK,Friday 06 May 2016
Dozens of staff have walked out of Wormwood Scrubs prison over concerns about "Dickensian" health and safety conditions.
Mike Rolfe, of the Prison Officers' Association, said the protest came after a number of assaults on staff.
"The jail is flooded with drugs, mobile phones and weapons," he said.
"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 - but would send teams back in if there was an emergency.
Mr Rolfe said the unplanned action was taken after an emergency branch meeting held on Friday.
The Prison Service confirmed that an incident was under way and said steps were being taken to resolve it.
A spokesman added: "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 protest came weeks after an inspection report sparked claims of "Dickensian squalor" at the Category B prison, which holds around 1,200 men.
The report revealed the prison was rat-infested and overcrowded, with inmates spending most of their time holed up in squalid cells.
One in five prisoners told inspectors they felt unsafe, and the number of assaults on inmates and staff was double that seen in similar institutions.
Last year it was claimed that conditions had prompted one staff member to say: "I wouldn't keep a dog in there."
The prison in west London was built between 1875 and 1891 and inmates have included Moors murderer Ian Brady, Charles Bronson and Rolling Stone Keith Richards.
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