A PRISONS chief visited a troubled North-East jail for the second time in a fortnight yesterday, as inquiries continued into how child killer Ian Huntley was attacked.

Danny McAllister, director of high security prisons, held urgent meetings with Frankland Prison governor Dave Thompson and Durham City MP Roberta Blackman-Woods.

The regime has been under intense scrutiny following two attacks, in which the Soham murderer had his throat slashed and three officers were stabbed by a triple killer.

There have been demands for officers to be given stab vests and for all glass items to be banned.

Dr Blackman-Woods, who spent three hours in talks at the top-security jail, said: “I was reassured that the review that the Ministry of Justice has set up is looking at all the procedures. All the staff and management want to learn from it.

“It did seem the prison was taking the issues very seriously.”

Dr Blackman-Woods met staff and prisoners. The MP said the authorities were reviewing items sold to inmates, but added: “It’s a very well-run prison.”

Her visit came hours after the Chief Inspector of Prisons warned that nearby Durham Prison had serious problems with inmate drug abuse, with one in four testing positive for illegal substances.

Dame Anne Owers also said arrangements for drug treatment were potentially unsafe and methadone administration dominated the regime.

Huntley, who killed ten-yearold schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, Cambridgeshire, in 2002, was attacked with a makeshift knife by a fellow inmate, said to be armed robber Damien Fowkes, in Frankland, on Sunday.

Prison officer Craig Wylde lost the use of his left hand, and two others were hurt when an inmate, reported to be killer Kevan Thakrar, attacked them with a broken vinegar bottle on Saturday, March 13.

Carol Woods, Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokeswoman for Durham City, has written to Justice Secretary Jack Straw demanding action to improve safety in prisons. She said: “You would be hard pushed to purchase a drink served in a glass on a Saturday night in Durham, yet violent criminals are allowed glass in their cells.”