THE governor of a North-East prison housing some of the country’s most dangerous offenders has announced his retirement – to take over a leading role in the private sector.

David Thompson, 53, who has run Frankland Prison, in Durham City, since 2008, last night spoke of a rewarding and challenging career in the service as he prepared to head a bid by G4S to take over the running of three of the region’s prisons.

A miner’s son from Thornley, County Durham, Mr Thompson was educated at nearby Wheatley Hill Secondary Modern School and joined the prison service in February 1980.

Initially a prison officer, he served at several establishments, including young offenders’ institutions and at Prison Service headquarters, moving up the promotion ladder to become the governor of the country’s largest highsecurity dispersal unit.

His CV includes a six-year stint as deputy governor of Durham Prison and three years each as governor of nearby Low Newton Women’s Prison and of Wakefield Prison, in West Yorkshire.

The highlight of his career was receiving an OBE in the 2010 New Year’s honours list.

Mr Thompson said: “When I think about recent events at Frankland, they have been really difficult for me.

“There were the three staff that were hurt – the case is going on in Newcastle Crown Court – and then the death of a prisoner more recently.

“Managing part of the population at Frankland has been pretty difficult.

“But you eclipse all those times with the good times.”

He added: “I have been very fortunate, I have always had a good team of people around me – staff in all grades who work and do mundane tasks up to the deputy governor.

“It is all about having a team who work together.

“Frankland is the country’s largest prison and has nearly a quarter of the category A population for the country.

“When you look at these individuals, you think ‘How am I going to keep the lid on this thing?’. It is all about the dynamics and staff playing their part.”

Mr Thompson, who has dealt with nearly every notorious prisoner in the system during his 32-year career, said: “It is a must that all staff uphold the decency agenda – that they are not judgmental as to why someone is in prison.

“They should treat the prisoners decently and not be too soft and not to be too firm, finding that line you should be adhering to.”

He said he had seen many changes over the years – most notably recently.

He said: “It is now part of the National Offenders’ Management Service and Public Sector Prisons, rather than, as when I started, Her Majesty’s Prison Service.

“As a result, I think a lot of the staff have lost the pride that they had.”

As North-East prisons cluster director for G4S, Mr Thompson will be working on the firm’s market testing bid for Durham, and Acklington and Castington prisons, in Northumberland.