A prison riot that has shocked the nation is the focus of Channel 5’s latest feature-length documentary. The Strangeways Riot: 25 Days of Mayhem airs Thursday night (March 17) from 9 p.m.
The documentary tells the story of Britain’s worst prison riot. In 1990, the prisoners took control of HMP Manchester, also known as Strangeways Prison.
The siege, which began as a protest against inhumane conditions on Strangeways, lasted a total of 25 days. However, the after-effects of the riots are still being felt in the British prison system today.
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The prison has been home to some very famous prisoners over the years. Suffragettes Emily Davison and Christabel Pankhurst were briefly jailed there for their efforts to win women’s votes.
Ian Brady spent three months in Strangeways when he was 17, years before he became a notorious serial killer. When he and Myra Hindley were convicted of the Moorish murders in 1966, Brady was taken to HMP Durham.
(Image: Daily Mirror)
One of the most surprising celebrities to have spent time in Strangeways Prison, however, is the television personality, David Dickinson. Years before his showbiz career began when he was just 19, the former Bargain Hunt presenter served three years of four years in prison for mail order fraud.
He spent the majority of his sentence at Strangeways in Manchester. Speaking about his short time behind bars, David told the Mirror in 2005: “I swore I would never do anything to put myself back in that position.
The antiques dealer continued to pursue a successful career in television, showing shows such as Dickinson’s Real Deal. He also appeared in the first series of Strictly Come Dancing, which aired in 2004 before appearing in I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! the year drop.
Strangeways Riot: 25 Days of Mayhem will be broadcast on Channel 5 and My5 on Thursday, March 17 at 9pm.
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