A TERRIFIED female prison officer taken hostage by three convicted killers was freed when other warders overpowered them.

The High Court in Glasgow heard that Patrick Kelly, 41, David Miller, 24, and Duncan McTaggart, 26, armed themselves with metal chair legs and barricaded themselves in an office in Glenochil Prison with Linda Conner.

Prison officers Philip Thomas, Michael Swords and William Riddell were attacked with the chair legs and a fire extinguisher as they forced their way in to set Ms Conner free.

Kelly, McTaggart and Miller admitted abducting Ms Conner and were each sentenced to a further 45 months.