TWO inmates climbed onto the roof of a juvenile jail to go sunbathing - but came down five hours later when they got cold.

William Palmer and Jonathan Knox were said to have been angry about cuts to their family visits and "association time".

Knox was also furious that an application to attend his grandmother's funeral was knocked back on the day of the service.

The pair took a hammer from a workshop and made their way to the top of Deerbolt Young Offenders' Institution, County Durham.

Prosecutor Emma Atkinson told Teesside Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday, Sept 22) that £10,000 of damage was caused in the drama on April 7.

A specialist negotiator and five other officers were drafted in from Doncaster to help at the Barnard Castle facility.

Miss Atkinson said: "He asked why they were up there and they said they were fed-up of being in prison and it was a nice day.

"They appear to have spent their time on the roof sunbathing, wandering around bare-chested and using a hammer to cause damage.

"The negotiator asked if they were cold because it was by now night-time, and it seems that's the reason they surrendered."

The pair, both 21 and from North Wales, admitted a charge of criminal damage and had ten months added to their sentences.

Palmer is doing eight years for robbery and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and Knox three years for burglary.

Andrew Teate, for Knox, said: "He has been in and out of prison since he was 14 and has never had any trouble in any other jail.

"He insists he had been nothing but a model prisoner throughout his time, but he was put on closed visits without explanation.

"What caused him the most concern was his grandmother - who had brought him up - died, and he was told he could not go to the funeral."

Yvonne Taylor, for Palmer, told the court: "He's also been to a number of prisons without difficulty until he went to Deerbolt.

"He says he had a bed and a toilet and his only cellmates were the mice. He said a warden said he wouldn't put his dog in there."

Judge Peter Armstrong told the pair: "Whatever grievances you might have had is not great mitigation for this protest and damage.

"For your own reasons, which have been explained to the court, you decided to make your way up onto the roof.

"You spent five hours on the roof, engaged in either sunbathing or damaging the various fixtures and fittings up there."

The pair wrecked felt roofing, industrial ducting, doors, windows, and toilet plumbing before giving themselves up at 9pm.

Police, fire crews and ambulances were at the scene, and "considerable disruption" was caused, the judge said yesterday.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "Any damage to prison property is not tolerated. We work closely with the police and CPS to ensure that when incidents like this do occur, offenders are charged and face having time added to their sentence."