Loyalist prisoners at Maghaberry prison in the North say they intend to step up their protest aimed at achieving political status.
The prisoners are also demanding that prison authorities allocate them separate accommodation from republicans inmates at Maghaberry after violent incidents inside the jail involving republican and loyalist factions.
A spokesman for the loyalist prisoners said yesterday that tension between rival paramilitary groups had "increased dramatically" over the Christmas period. No one from the North's prison service was available yesterday to comment on the prisoners' demands.
