VIOLENCE and self-harm have surged at a young offenders institution, an inspection report found today.

Chief inspector of prisons Peter Clarke said that HMP young offenders institute Feltham A in west London was now “not safe enough.”

Feltham A contains contains teenagers with a custodial sentence aged between 15-18, while Feltham B holds those aged 18-21.

The unit had been left without a governor for a period of five months.

The inspection found levels of violence had increased significantly since the previous probe in 2018.

In the six months since the last unannounced inspection, carried out in January, there were 230 incidents of violence.

There had been a substantial increase in violence against staff, with 62 reported incidents compared to just eight at the last inspection.

Self-harm had also soared at the institution, more than doubling from 34 in the previous inspection to 76.

A survey showed that nearly two-thirds of children said that they had been physically restrained and the frequency of the use of force by staff had increased.

More than one in four (26 per cent) of the 148 children in Feltham A were locked in their cells during the daytime, the report found.

Shadow justice minister Imran Hussain said: “There are deep concerns about the profound failure of the youth custodial estate to keep vulnerable children safe.

“The shocking findings in this report will only add to these fears.

“Labour has repeatedly warned about the youth estate and Feltham in particular, and the significant increase in violence and appalling levels of self-harm identified in this report demonstrates the dire crisis the youth custody estate is in.

“The government needs to urgently set out a plan to ensure that children in Feltham are safe.”

Inspectors argued that not enough had been done to identify why violence has risen and recommended fewer periods of being locked up for “extended periods” as a way to improve children’s mental health.

HM Prison and Probation Service chief executive Dr Jo Farrar said that the jail has recruited an extra 90 prison officers for Feltham this year.

She said: “We are taking urgent action to address the concerns raised — this includes opening a specialist unit to provide interventions and support for the most challenging young people, and providing each offender with a dedicated officer to better help their rehabilitation.”