AN escape bid by four inmates at a North-East prison was foiled when staff rounded them up in the grounds.

The attempt was discovered at 10pm on Tuesday night and Cleveland Police was called in to help search for the missing men.

The force helicopter was used in an attempt to locate them in the grounds of Kirklevington Grange in Yarm, and they were apprehended at 11.15pm.

The inmates will now have the privilege of being held in the open prison, off the junction of the A67 and Green Lane, removed and will be transferred to a higher security jail.

A Prison Service spokesman said: “Vigilant staff at Kirklevington Grange noticed that four prisoners were unaccounted for at 10.03pm.

“A thorough search was carried out and at 11.15pm all the prisoners were found in the prison grounds.

“The police have been informed and the prisoners will be moved to closed conditions.”

A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said: “Police were called at 10.20pm to assist prison staff with an incident inside the prison grounds.”