SIX inmates who spent yesterday barricaded inside the chapel of a young offenders institution were questioned by detectives last night.

A Home Office and police investigation was launched following the incident, which left the chapel at Deerbolt Young Offenders Institution, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, badly damaged.

The six were brought out at 4.45pm by a special "Tornado Team" of officers drawn from prisons in the region.

The squad was called in yesterday after a disturbance broke out during morning service.

Other inmates and staff at the service, including the chaplain, were able to leave the chapel, which was quickly cordoned off.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "The incident was contained in the chapel, where there was quite a lot of damage to fixtures and fittings.

"There were six prisoners in the chapel. They were making a mess and refusing to come out.

"We sent in a Tornado Team, which is made up of officers trained to deal with this sort of incident.

"Police were called in until they arrived.

"The incident ended when the Tornado Team went in. Nobody was hurt during the day, apart from two very minor injuries.

"There will be an internal investigation by the prison service, which will be carried out over the next few days."

The police investigation is confined to the damage caused to the chapel. No one at Deerbolt was available for comment last night.

The institution houses about 450 inmates aged between 18 and 21.