A tense hostage situation at the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise, County Laois, has been defused after armed inmates agreed to give up their weapons in exchange for the classic English chocolate bar.
The prison had been placed into lockdown after two inmates seized a fellow prisoner and took him hostage in a cell.
The pair reportedly threatened to cut off their victim’s ears with a homemade shiv if their demands for “tobacco, Swiss rolls and Mars bars” were not met (serious sponge cake fans then).
The prison’s emergency control and restraint team negotiated with hours without success – before the lure of the confectionary was enough for the hostage takers to put down the knife.
“Shortly before 8:30 p.m. staff forced entry into the cell and removed all four prisoners, meeting considerable resistance from at least two,” the Prison Officers’ Association said in a statement. “No staff were injured.”
An investigation is now underway into the incident – but it’s not the first time that junk food has been used in crisis negotiation.
Last year, a Florida man surrendered following a four-hour standoff after the police offered him a slice of pizza.
Never underestimate the power of pepperoni.
