An officer at Deerbolt Young Offenders' Institution, in Barnard Castle, has been nominated for a top award for his work with prisoners.

Dave Glendinning has been nominated from more than 48,000 staff nationwide for a prize at the Prison Officer of the Year awards.

His name was put forward by colleagues and he will travel to Leeds with his wife for tonight's ceremony.

One of Mr Glendinning's major projects has been helping young offenders find work on building sites upon their release, by training them so they receive a Green Card, which is accredited by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

Mr Glendinning, who works in the gym in Deerbolt, said: "We don't just accept anybody on to the scheme, the lads have to prove they could work safely on a building site.

"It gives them a chance to get a job when they get out, which will hopefully take them out of the cycle of crime.

"It's paying dividends too because we've had a few lads that have gone out and got jobs."

He has also encouraged young fathers at Deerbolt to learn parenting skills.