PRISON inspectors warned yesterday that plans to swell the number of inmates at a Wigan young offenders’ institute could jeopardise the safe running of the facility.

Chief Inspector of Prisons Nick Hardwick said that “significant but necessary” improvements had been made at HMYOI Hindley, but added that overcrowding was putting boys’ safety at risk and that the improvements were “fragile.”

An announcement that the number of young adults held was to increase significantly has raised inspectors’ fears.