A college run by the region's best-paid principal has been branded inadequate by inspectors.

Ian Prescott, of East Durham and Houghall Community College, was ranked the 14th biggest earner of Britain's 442 principals in a survey by the Times Educational Supplement, which put his salary at £104,262.

But leadership and management were found to be unsatisfactory and the college's provision deemed "not adequate to meet the reasonable needs of students".

Inspectors from Ofsted and the Adult Learning Inspectorate ran the rule over the college, at Peterlee and Durham, last year. They judged education and training to be good in one curriculum area, satisfactory in seven and unsatisfactory in three.

They said key strengths included the high retention rates of students aged 16 to 18, the college's specialist resources, student support, strong financial position and good collaboration with community groups, local employers and training providers.

They called for improvements to recruitment levels in some curriculum areas, provision for GCSE and A-level students, exam pass rates and much of the teaching.

Improvements should also be made in the provision of science and mathematics, humanities, English and modern foreign languages and for land-based industries, including work-based learning.

The college, which had 1,250 full-time and 14,800 part-time students last year, offers courses up to degree level.

Mr Prescott said: "Although we have been cited as a socially inclusive community college and the vast majority of our teaching is good or satisfactory, we have had to take a few criticisms on the chin.

"However, I would like to remind people that the inspection took place in November and the college is well down the road to turning perceived weaknesses into strengths."