DURHAM Prison could lose its status as the country's only high risk centre for female inmates, but only due to its geographical location.

The city's 19th Century-built institution, a male regional dispersal jail, also contains a "prison within a prison", for upto 109 women inmates.

Formerly nicknamed "She-Wing", the modern "Female Centre" has been refurbished and facilities drastically improved since a damning early 1990s report.

Its list of notorious inmates have included Moors murderess Myra Hindley, several IRA terrorists and East German spy Sonia Schulz, while it remains home to Cromwell Street killer Rose West.

Updating the 1997 report Women in Prison, Chief Inspector of Prisons, Sir David Ramsbotham, said a second high security women's jail unit should be developed in the South.

But, as an alternative, Sir David suggests closing Durham as a women's high security centre, and, opening a new unit in the Midlands, to minimise distances inmates are held from their homes, and the disruption for their visiting family members.

"When you look at the women who are held there and how far away they are from where they come from, then, common sense and the cost of putting them there seems to me daft," said Sir David.

He also said there is, "a serious need" to reconsider security restrictions under which female inmates are placed, with the possibility of "more open conditions" for those nearing release dates to re-assimilate them into the community.

"The women do not need the same physical degree of security as men. It's a waste of public money."

Durham Prison deputy governor, Dave Thompson, said: "Considerable improvements have been made here over the last four years on the women's side.

"A prisoner's lot is certainly a better one than it was."

Meanwhile the North-East's other women's prison, Low Newton, near Durham, which houses upto 285 inmates, won praise from Sir David.

It earned recognition for its trail blazing developments since the former remand centre became solely a female institution in 1999.

Governor Mike Kirby, hosting a conference of leading women's prison figures, said: "We try to give women a number of options to learn new skills and improved educational opportunities, so they are far better prepared to gain employment."

Low Newton also runs a successful rehabilitation unit for drug-addicted women prisoners.

Updated: 14.05 Friday, July 13