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More than a hundred inmates trashed a British prison and badly injured a guard with a pool cue during a violent riot.

The Sun reported the gang of prisoners went on the rampage at privately-run Addiewell jail in Scotland at 7:30pm GMT Monday night, after being refused methadone by staff.

Prisoners were said to be setting fire to pool tables and trying to reach the jail's roof.

One inmate, speaking from inside the jail on an illegal cell phone during the riot, said: "It's bedlam, the whole place is in uproar.

"The cons (prisoners) have kicked off really badly. They've barricaded themselves into the wings with pool tables.

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"One warder got hit over the head with a pool cue. He looked to be in a pretty bad way. I saw him getting dragged away by his pals - then they just abandoned the wing to the rioters."

The source said the trouble started shortly after dinner, when inmates were refused heroin substitute methadone.

"Everyone queues up for their medicine. Usually that means methadone," he said.

"It seems like there was a shortage of doctors, and the medicine wasn't being given out. That was it as far as the lads (men) were concerned, they weren't having it and stuff started flying about.

"There's always a staff shortage of some sort in here and the guards just couldn't cope."

Another prisoner said the damage caused by the riot may run into hundreds of thousands of pounds.

"The place has been done in. There is water flooding everywhere," he said.

"An officer tried to get in with a shield and riot gear but he was beaten back and lost the bat and shield."

A Scottish Ambulance service spokesman said, "We can confirm we were in attendance at an incident at Addiewell prison and one male has been taken to hospital. We don't have any information on his condition at this time."

Addiewell, a 750-prisoner facility which has en-suite cells with flat screen TVs, has been named Scotland's most violent adult jail.

Last October a mob of up to 30 inmates rioted and battered staff with mops. They barricaded themselves in a hall in a five-hour stand-off and posed for cell phone photos.

In August a warder was rushed to hospital after being assaulted by a convicted murderer at the jail, owned by private firm Kalyx.

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