THE coroner at the inquest into Britain's youngest prison death has called for an urgent review into the use of restraint techniques at secure training centres throughout the country.

Durham Coroner Andrew Tweddle was speaking after a jury returned a verdict of suicide yesterday on 14-year-old Adam Rickwood, who hanged himself in a privately-run secure unit.

Adam was the youngest person to die in custody in Britain when he hanged himself with his shoelaces at the Serco-run Hassockfield Secure Training Centre, near Consett, County Durham, in 2004.

Following a month-long inquest at Chester-le-Street Magistrates' Court, a jury of nine women and one man ruled that he had intended to take his own life.

Six hours before he was found hanged from a curtain rail, Adam had been restrained by four officers, and was left bloodied after a painful "nose distraction technique" was used to stop him struggling.

In answers to a set of 11 questions, the jury made no criticism of Adam's treatment and said there were no system failures in the centre's regime.

But Adam's mother, Carol Pounder, said: "I want the Government to set up a public inquiry into children that have been restrained for non-compliance.

"The jury heard evidence that they should not be restraining children for non-compliance.

"What gives the right for four grown-up men to physically restrain my Adam, a 14-year-old boy?

"He was assaulted and was bloodied and bruised. If I'd assaulted Adam at home I would have been locked up. What gives them the right to do that? All Adam did was say no."

She continued: "My message to the authorities is that they are still using restraint for non-compliance.

"I am totally and utterly disgusted with what has happened. They can go home each night to their children and all I have to put to bed is a bag of paperwork - that is all his life amounts to now.

"They want to hang their heads in shame. They drove my child to death.

"They drove my Adam to his death."

She added: "Not once have they said they are sorry."

Mr Tweddle said he would be using his powers to contact interested parties to make a series of recommendations, including the need for everyone to be made aware of what restraint techniques could be used and when they should be used.

Mr Tweddle said: "There needs to be the most urgent and thorough investigation and review of the inter-relationship between the 1994 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, secure training centre rules and the directors rules to avoid any confusion of what applies where and when."

He added: "That's of the utmost importance so there can be no ambiguity in anyone's minds, be it the young person, staff, management, the Youth Justice Board, or indeed the Government, as to when the use of force can be used to maintain discipline, good order and compliance is authorised."

The inquest had heard that the troubled teenager, from Burnley, Lancashire, had written to his mother saying he would kill himself if he was not taken out of the centre, which was 150 miles from his home.

The hearing was told that he had suffered from mental health problems and suicidal tendencies.

The jury, which continued its deliberations for three days, found that Hassockfield was an appropriate secure training centre for Adam.

It also found that staff had acted properly during his short time there, and also during the incident hours before his death.

Earlier in the hearing, Mr Tweddle refused an application from Adam's family's solicitors for a judicial review of the legality of the restraint used on the teenager.

Solicitor Mark Scott said: "It was quite alarming that you have a situation where four grown men restrain a child using a restraint called the nose distraction technique, that is designed to inflict pain on the child and does inflict pain."

He added that the family would be taking the matter concerning the restraint to the High Court.

A spokesman for Serco, which runs the centre, said after the inquest: "This has been a very thorough investigation into the circumstances of Adam's tragic death.

"It has demonstrated that our staff do a difficult job and provided a very high standard of care when Adam was at Hassockfield.

"The coroner has made detailed recommendations, some of which we have already implemented, and we will of course look closely at the rest."

The nose distraction technique used on Adam is no longer employed at Hassockfield.