Inmates at Stoke Heath Young Offenders Institution have been blamed for starting fires on the roof there.

The inmates are thought to have started the fires by throwing matches at a pile of rubbish.

Firefighters have been called out to the centre, near Market Drayton, to deal with blazes on top of one of the buildings during the past two nights.

Crews from Market Drayton, Hodnet and Telford were first called out to Stoke Heath on Saturday at about 11.15pm.

Staff had already tackled the blaze, but firefighters spent 30 minutes at the scene making sure there was no burning rubbish left on the roof.

Firefighters were called back to Stoke Heath yesterday at about 8.55pm, after inmates are believed to have started another rubbish fire on the roof.

Crews from Market Drayton and Hodnet attended but the fire was out on arrival.

Sub-officer Steve Palin, from Hodnet fire station, said: “There was some rubbish that had been pushed out onto the roof and it had mounted up, they had also been throwing matches at it.

“It was only a small fire and didn’t cause any real damage.”

David Langton, Prison Service spokesman, said today: “There were two small roof top fires at Stoke Heath Young Offenders Institution this weekend.

“Staff put out both fires and the fire brigade were called as is required in all fire incidents within the prison.

“There were no injuries to staff or prisoners.”