An ambulance attends the centre at Oakington
By Paul Holland
A SERIOUS disturbance has broken out at Oakington Detention Centre after a man was found dead this morning.
They claim the man, thought to be a Kenyan national and detainee at the centre, fell ill yesterday.
He died in the early hours of this morning. Around 150 police officers from Cambridgeshire, the MET and HMP are thought to be on the scene having arrived in vans and putting on body armour.
Scientific support officers are on the scene.
A fellow detainee said: “There are about 200 people all very upset. The authorities have done nothing to help him and now he is dead.
“I think there will be a riot here. The police are now here.”
Shortly afterwards more police were sent to the site to “keep the peace” and ensure the safety of staff. It is thought the detainees are preventing the man’s body from leaving the site.
A police spokesman said: “There was a sudden death in Oakington Immigration Centre at 3.55am where a 40-year-old man detained there died.
“We are investigating but at this time there are no suspicious circumstances. Officers are at the centre this morning carrying out the investigation.”
He added: “More officers have been sent to the scene to keep the peace and ensure the safety of staff. We can confirm there is a disturbance ongoing at the site.”
A member of staff was also taken to hospital in an ambulance this morning suffering from “an illness” said the spokesman.
He added it was not due to any injuries and it is not clear whether the illness has any connection with the detainee’s death.
A spokeswoman for G4S which runs the centre for the UK Border Agency confirmed the death of the detainee and added the company was investigating the situation.
A UK Border Agency spokesman: “An incident occurred this afternoon at Oakington Immigration Removal Centre involving a number of detainees. There were no escapes. Staff at Oakington are working with National Offender Management Service and the police to manage the situation.”
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