A former director general of the Prison Service has claimed David Blunkett told him to call in the army and "machine gun" rioting inmates at Lincoln prison.
Martin Narey, who acknowledged it was a comment the then home secretary "surely cannot have intended us to take seriously", said he was "disturbed" by Blunkett's "hysterical" behaviour.
Narey, who published his recollection of the October 2002 riot in Tuesday's Times newspaper, said he was moved to do so after reading Blunkett's version of events in his recently-released memoirs.
He described Blunkett's diary entry of the night of the riot as an "immodest summary" that was "clearly not written at the time".
Blunkett had noted the Prison Service had "started to equivocate about negotiations and what to do".
"I said to Martin: 'I'm sorry but there's absolutely no question of dithering. If I have to ring Geoff Hoon and bring in the army so be it, but by dawn I want the prison retaken and I want order restored,'" say the diaries.
And Blunkett goes on to say that "I believe this is one of those occasions where my being there made a difference", because he was "able to strengthen the arm of those who were prepared to act and were prepared to override those who were dithering".
According to Narey, a furious Blunkett phoned and directed him to send staff back into the prison.
Narey told him he did not have enough staff to retake the prison, and would not risk the lives of staff or prisoners attempting to do so.
"He shrieked at me that he didn't care about lives, told me to call in the army and 'machine-gun' the prisoners," Narey writes.
"He then ordered me to take the prison back immediately. I refused. David then hung up."
Narey said he had never made the "sad episode" public before, but after reading Blunkett's memoir he could not "allow David's version of events to go unchallenged".
"Too many people worked tirelessly and courageously that night to bring events at Lincoln to a swift and relatively peaceful conclusion," Narey continued.
"David's was the only performance that was wanting."
Blunkett's diaries have shown he had a difficult relationship with some civil servants who he felt were obstructive, and Narey acknowledges that "my relationship with David was not good".
A spokesman for Blunkett told the Times: "Everything to do with the Lincoln riot is in the diary. The diary records precisely what happened.
"He did order the retaking of the prison. He did not say anything about machine guns."
The prime minister, asked at his monthly press conference for his views on Blunkett's decision to publish his memoirs, said: "I've got other things to think about."
He added: "He was an excellent home secretary, education secretary and work and pensions secretary, I do say that."
