A NORTH-EAST prison has been labelled the second most violent in the country - but another local jail is one of the safest.

According to a Prison Reform Trust report, Castington Young Offenders' Institution, Northumberland, had an assault rate on prisoners and staff of 58.8 per cent, compared with the Home Office target of nine per cent.

Castington was second only to Brinsford Young Offenders' Institution, near Wolverhampton, with 67.8 per cent.

But yesterday's report found that Kirklevington Detention Centre, Cleveland, was one of the safest in the country, with no recorded assaults.

Prisoners there also spent the second highest amount of time involved in "purposeful activities", such as education and training, putting in an average 52.5 hours per week.

In April, 13 cells were wrecked by inmates at Castington, causing around £6,000 damage. Last year inmates caused £35,000 damage and three inmates tried to escape.

Responding to the report, a Prison Service spokesman said moves to tackle bullying meant more incidents were recorded.

She added: "The worst five prisons in the list are all young offenders' institutions, which house a particularly difficult area of the prison population, who tend to be more volatile.

"The number of assaults reported are not necessarily a measure of the safety and security of a prison.

"We are developing a more sensitive measure which will serve as a better indicator of the state of order and control."

In the six months since it opened last September, Hassockfield Secure Training Centre, Medomsley, near Consett, saw 612 reportable incidents, ranging from attacks on staff to swearing at officers.

Deerbolt Young Offenders' Institution was criticised by a Crown Court judge last year for allowing an inmate to endure bullying from two inmates.

An investigation was launched in February following allegations of drug taking and under-age sex among residents at Aycliffe Young People's Centre