Prison's outer gates 'left open at night'

Jail watchdogs raised concerns about a “general casualness about some aspects of security” at Ranby prison, near Retford.

A report by Chief Ins-pector of Prisons Anne Owers also highlighted a “large and unexpected” shortfall in Ranby’s acc-ounts which could lead to delays in tackling a series of problems at the 1,000-inmate jail.

“The external gate was left open at night to allow staff to park inside the sterile area, and we observed a ladder against the inner security fence at this time,” the report said.

“The management of keys at the gate was also of concern, with no proper control of who received which set of keys.”

In another security worry, combating drug abuse in the prison had been hampered by difficulties in securing the “huge” perimeter wall, the report added.

One of the main ways illegal drugs enter prisons is when packages are thrown over the walls by accomplices.

Inspectors also found anti-bullying programmes were not managed effectively, some accommodation was sub-standard and resettlement work was “disappointing”.

But Ms Owers said: “Staff at Ranby deserve credit for managing a massive expansion programme and for ensuring prisoners continued to be generally well-treated and provided with purposeful activity.”