Prison officers injured in Belmarsh disturbance

LONDON (Reuters) - Four prison officers were injured during a disturbance at the high secure unit of Belmarsh prison in south east London on Friday.

The four members of staff needed hospital treatment, but it was not clear how serious the injuries were.

The incident was triggered after a prisoner on remand was suspected of tampering with a laptop, the Prison Service said.

The inmate refused to hand it over and punched a member of staff in the ensuing dispute.

"An altercation ensued involving a number of staff and prisoners," the Prison Service said in a statement.

"The incident was brought under control quickly."

Some inmates are allowed computers to work on their legal cases, but are denied Internet access.

Belmarsh holds some of Britain's most high-profile national security suspects.

No details on the inmate involved were available.