A prisoner underwent surgery for a broken jaw yesterday after he and another inmate were beaten in what Westgate chiefs believe could have been a gang-ordered attack at the weekend.

Prison Commissioner Hubert Dean has called Police to investigate the incident which has led to a partial lock down on the medium security E-1 wing.

Prison authorities have found the prison grapevine has gone cold after the attack left one man with a cut above his eye and another needing a spell on the operating table. Mr. Dean said: ?All the inmates are tight-lipped about the whole affair, I assume it has to be some gang-related activity simple because of the persons the group victimised. Did someone order this to happen? I don?t know who, I don?t have the details, it?s all speculation.

?The inmates were all of a sudden assaulted in the same unit by these persons within that unit. It makes you wonder what it is ? unless someone stole something.?

He said CCTV camera footage would be assessed although it is thought one of the attacks occurred in one of the cells.

?I have no idea how many people were involved. I have asked Police to investigate the whole affair. It means we have to go back into lock down mode on E-1 as a result of this. We have to tighten up security.?

Now inmates are only to be let out in small groups. Asked about the gang situation in Westgate Mr. Dean said: ?I knew it was going to happen. It was only a matter of time. You see inmates grouped together, they seem to favour hanging with their own gang members.?

Mr. Dean said he had brought Police gang experts into Westgate to brief staff on spotting the danger signals.

The two victims have refused to cooperate with the investigation into the violence which happened at around 4 p.m on Saturday.

An hour later two teenage inmates at the Coed Facility in St. George?s jumped the fence and were on the run until being rounded up by Police and prison staff who laid in wait at the pair?s hang out in the West End. ?They staked them out and waited and they were not disappointed.?

He said Prison authorities were still working out how the pair managed to escape while working in the kitchen.