A JURY issued a damning indictment of the Prison Service, which it said let down a vulnerable inmate who took his own life in a high-security segregation unit.

Following a five-week inquest - one of the longest into a death in custody - the jury found a series of systematic failures had contributed to the death of Paul Day.

The 31-year-old, from Essex, had been serving an eight-year sentence for robbery and an assault on a fellow prisoner, and was on self-harm watch.

He was found hanged in his cell at Frankland Prison, Durham City, in October 2002.

The hearing at Chester-le-Street Magistrates' Court heard that Day was told he was being sent from Wandsworth Prison to a witness protection unit at Frankland, even though no such unit exists. The jury, which returned a verdict that he had taken his own life, ruled he had been misled.

The foreman said: "We believe the effect on Paul was that he felt abandoned, frustrated, depressed, helpless and defeated. And he also lost trust in the system and of his carers."

The jury found that he had suffered verbal abuse at the hands of fellow inmates, which staff had not done enough to stamp out. The jury decided this bullying had contributed to his death. The foreman said: "It gradually took its toll on his mind and, being a sociable character, his main contact was the constant abuse from his fellow inmates."

The jury ruled that the self-harm watch was not properly managed. They recommended the use of cameras and the introduction of in-cell bells on segregation units. They found, too, that staff had not followed their own procedures in dealing with the dirty protest that Day carried out in response to his situation.

Solicitor Fiona Burrill, for the family, said after the verdict: "The prison system badly let Paul down - from the managers all the way down to ordinary prison officers. She said there had been a catalogue of errors and mismanagement.

Day's parents, Andy and Pauline, said they would now campaign for vulnerable prisoners not to be held in segregation units.

Frankland governor Phil Copple, who sent his condolences to Mr Day's family, said internal investigations had highlighted 'procedural shortcomings', which have been addressed.

He said: "We will continue to work hard to ensure that we protect the public and offer the best possible care for the men who are placed in our custody."