PRISON governor Clive Broom had to calm down inmates who held a two-hour sit-in at his jail after a health scare over their water supply.

About 40 prisoners staged a sit-in in their recreation room at Erlestoke Prison on Thursday after labels appeared on drinking water taps, warning that they should not be used because of fear over legionella bacteria.

The prisoners demanded assurances that their health had not been compromised.

Mr Broom and his staff spent more than two hours trying to convince inmates it had all been a terrible mistake.

Mr Broom said: "A routine test of the showers was carried out last week and traces of legionella bacteria were found in four showerheads.

"This is not unusual. legionella is often found in the water system of large institutions.

"The system was flushed through and pronounced safe by health and safety inspectors."

Mr Broom said an investigation was underway to find out how the labels came to be placed on drinking water taps.

Legionnaire's disease, a respiratory disease similar to pneumonia, can only be contracted by inhaling infected water droplets, not by drinking infected water.

A recent report by the Prison's Independent Monitoring Group, formerly the Board of Visitors, criticised the condition of showers, particularly in Wren Block.

But Quentin Goggs, the group's former chairman, said there was no connection with showers mentioned in a previous report.

He said opn Friday: "Someone was a bit overzealous by putting the labels on the taps.

"I have been to the prison this morning and the prisoners seemed satisfied with the explanation. They have been given bottled water to drink."

Mr Broom added that the main problem which his group originally identified with the showers is that the temperature and pressure drops when a number of prisoners are using them.

He said: "We don't have the resources in our budgets to replace the showers.

"We have to apply for the money and it will be a matter of priorities as to whether we get it or not."

Mr Broom took over the prison earlier this year. In the past there has been criticsm from the Board of Governors about the high turn over in bosses.