A former prison officer has claimed staff at one of Britain's toughest jails regularly arrange brutal fights between rival criminals behind bars. Peter Hiett, a decorated former prison guard at Feltham Young Offenders Institution, said staff would put inmates in a cell padded with mattresses and leave them to fight out any differences. The 49-year-old, who worked at the jail for eight years and was commended for bravery, said some workers would even stay and watch the battle unfold, while others 'turned a blind eye to it'. He also said gangs controlled entire wings at the jail in Hounslow, south west London, leaving staff afraid to visit some areas of the prison for fear of being attacked. Scroll down for video . Peter Hiett, a decorated former prison guard at Feltham Young Offenders Institution in Hounslow (pictured), claims staff regularly arrange brutal fights between rival criminals behind bars at Britain's toughest jail . The claims echo scenes from 1999 film Fight Club starring Brad Pitt, in which gangsters organise mass brawls in underground 'fight clubs'. Mr Hiett told The Sunday People: 'It was like a sport for them. If two inmates had a grudge they'd put them together in a room to sort it out. 'They only stopped when one was knocked out or couldn't defend themselves any more.' His revelations come after he left the prison in January last year, amid claims he was forced out for trying to lift the lid on the goings-on. He claims the in-fighting was often kept hidden from the overriding authorities, with the prison's management setting up a Behaviour Management Group to 'fiddle the assault figures'. He said common tactics were to treat group attacks as just one assault and to encourage inmates to admit to the lesser charge of health and safety over assault. The former officer said: 'There would be 15 or 20 lads from the same gang on the same wing. They would protect each other, deal drugs. 'And if they saw another gang member all hell broke loose – their wars don't stop when they're behind bars. 'But if an inmate assaulted someone, the governor didn't want it written down like that. Staff would advise prisoners to admit a lesser charge.' There were high levels of 'unpredictable and reckless' violence among the 240 boys aged 15 to 18 at Feltham Young Offenders' Institution last year , a report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons found (file picture) Claims from former prison officer Peter Hiett about Feltham echo that of scenes in 1999 film Fight Club (above) Earlier this year, it was revealed that inmates at Feltham represent 48 different gangs, fuelling a 'constant juggling' by prison officers to keep the boys apart. A report found there were high levels of 'unpredictable and reckless' violence among the 240 boys aged 15 to 18 at the young offenders' institution, a significant amount of which was gang-related. Around a quarter of the boys - most of whom are from the London area - were placed on so-called 'keep apart' lists to tackle gang-related violence, inspectors from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) said. Former Feltham prison officer Emma Beard pictured outside court ahead of being jailed . Former prison offer Peter Hiett was also among the guards who reported fellow worker Emma Beard for performing sex acts on an inmate in his cell. Beard, a married mother-of-four, had sex with teenage murderer Danny McLean, then aged 18, at Feltham Young Offenders Institution and even wrote love letters to him, which included intimate photographs. Beard, then aged 31, pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office and was jailed for 12 months at Isleworth Crown Court in 2010. Jailing her, Judge Oliver told her: 'You put the security of yourself and the other officers at the young offenders' institution at risk and that is a serious matter. 'It has to be prison for you, you cannot in your role, break the law and expect to get away with it.' The number of fights and assaults had reduced since the previous HMIP inspection, but remained 'too high' with 262 incidents between July 2014 and January this year, including 79 assaults on staff. Some incidents were deemed 'very serious' by inspectors and involved gangs of boys attacking a single boy or member of staff in a 'very determined way'. Feltham is divided into two sites, with boys aged 15 to 18 held in site A, and 400 young adults aged 18 to 21 in site B. Mr Hiett said he tried to raise his concerns several times internally before he eventually approached Jeremy Wright – who was the Minister for Prisons at the time. Mr Wright ordered an inspection of the prison in March 2013 and called for a radical overhaul of the way the jail was run. Inspectors said it was one of the most concerning visits they had conducted. Despite calls for an overhaul, Feltham was named last year as the most violent prison in England and Wales by the Howard League for Penal Reform. But the authorities believe improvements are underway and it is simply taking time to see the changes because of the 'multiple challenges that need to be addressed'. Following the publication of January's report, Lin Hinnigan, the chief executive of the Youth Justice Board, said: 'It is clear from the report that, since the last inspection in 2013, improvements to Feltham A have been made; and we are grateful to the inspection team for recognising the dedication of the staff who work there. 'However, and as the report also acknowledges, the young people placed in Feltham are some of the most challenging of the cohort we have across the youth secure estate. 'Improving Feltham A is very much a work in progress, and will take time because of the multiple challenges that need to be addressed.' In response to Mr Hietts' claims, a spokesman for HM Prison Service told MailOnline: 'These inflammatory and damaging allegations are completely untrue and do a huge disservice to the hard working staff at YOI Feltham. 'It is totally untrue to claim that staff have been complicit in any acts of violence, or that there are "no-go" areas within the establishment. 'It is also absolutely wrong to say that figures relating to incidents at Feltham have been in any way altered.'
Former prison guard claims fights between inmates are organised by staff . Peter Hiett, 49, said staff would put rivals in a cell and let them battle it out . Said gangs also control full wings at Feltham Young Offenders Institution . Feltham named as the most violent prison in England and Wales last year .