A PRISONER at Swaleside jail at Eastchurch was taken to Medway hospital suffering from smoke inhalation following a fire in a cell.

The inmate had been sharing a double cell at the prison with another prisoner when the blaze began. The other convicted prisoner was taken to the jail's health care unit for treatment.

Retained firefighters from Eastchurch and a crew from Sheerness were called to deal with the incident. About four hours earlier two pumps from Eastchurch and Sheerness respectively were called to the prison when a fire alarm went off.

It is not known how the fire started and prison authorities are investigating.