ASSURANCES were given last night that Durham Prison is unlikely to lose its role as the country's only high-risk centre for women inmates.

Speculation arose that the female section of the city's jail, previously nicknamed "She Wing", may be facing closure following publication of an update this week on the damning Women in Prison report, of 1997.

The outgoing Chief Inspector of Prisons, Sir David Rowbotham, said Durham was an unsuitable site for the country's only high-risk centre for women prisoners, because of its location.

The unit - which is now known as The Female Centre - has an infamous list of former inmates, which includes Moors murderess Myra Hindley, several IRA terrorists and East German spy Sonia Schulz.

Its handful of category A prisoners among the 107 women at the centre includes Cromwell Street killer Rose West.

Sir David said that as many of those inmates were from the South, it caused their families problems travelling for visits to the North-East.

He suggested either adding a second high-risk unit, in the South, or replacing Durham by opening a new unit in the Midlands, to minimise the distances that inmates were held from their homes.

Durham Prison deputy governor Dave Thompson said last night: "This has been an issue for a good number of years.

"Yes, in an ideal world, it would be nice to have one in the North and one in the South, but the number of high-security women prisoners in the system just does not warrant it.

"It may have been quite a journey at one time, but with modern communications you can be here by rail within three hours from London, and we are just off the A1(M)."

A Prison Service insider confirmed last night that Sir David's suggestion on the high-security unit were unlikely to be acted upon.

l A five-part series by Women's Editor Arifa Akbar on what lies behind the bars at "She Wing" starts on Monday.