Girl, 16, locked up with a murderer

The Darlington teenager was forced to share a cell with the woman lifer after robbing another girl of £10 and being remanded in custody.

Teesside Crown Court yesterday heard how the experience had plunged her into depression and caused her to lose weight.

Judge Peter Fox said he felt "extreme anxiety and disquiet" at the arrangements in place for the 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Last night youth justice workers in the region admitted the system was struggling to cope.

Gill Palin, operations manager for children's services at Durham County Council, who is manager of the Aycliffe Young People's Centre, said there was an "acute shortage" of cells for young women.

The problem was particularly bad in the south of the country which meant that youngsters were filling limited places in the North-East.

She said: "All young people under the age of 18 should not be accommodated in an adult prison environment, but unfortunately many of them are.

"The Youth Justice Board is leading a national strategy to address the shortfall, but it will obviously take time to bed in."

An additional 80 places were being added to the system nationally this year and extra capacity was being made available at Aycliffe, she said.

But one of the key problems was an increasing number of young people who were being taken into custody after committing serious offences.

Bill Dixon, who is Darlington Borough Council's lead member for social services, said: "We need to ensure there is an adequate supply of secure places for young people sooner rather than later.

"A 16-year-old girl is still a child and should be treated like a child whatever the crime. It is highly regrettable that this has occurred and it should never happen again."

Teesside Crown Court was told that the 16-year-old, who had a history of drinking and violence, had robbed the other girl in a Darlington street on May 8.

She was with another group of teenagers who had been drinking when the incident took place.

Police later arrested her and she was remanded in custody by Darlington magistrates.

The 16-year-old was taken to New Hall women's prison, near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, where she found herself housed with the adult murderer.

She was later transferred to another unit in the Midlands where she was given psychiatric help and began to eat and put on weight.

Yesterday, the teenager was given a four month detention and training order which meant two months in custody and the rest in supervised training.

Judge Fox said she might have to return again to an adult prison for a "few days", before being transferred elsewhere.

He said: "This is the shortest sentence I can pass and I am putting as much pressure as I can on the Youth Justice Board to have you placed as soon as possible in a place where you will be helped."

A Prison Service spokeswoman said she could not comment on the 16-year-old's individual case, but claimed that all juveniles entering custody were assessed as to their risk.

No one would be placed in a cell with another inmate if there was a risk of harm.