PRISON staff have been praised in the latest report into the country's oldest working prison.

The report, from Northallerton Young Offenders Institution's Independent Monitoring Board, paid tribute to staff who have kept morale high during a difficult period of change.

It said: "During the year there have been many changes to regimes, staffing profiles and the physical environment.

"It is a credit to staff at all levels during this difficult time of seemingly constant change and development that morale and enthusiasm have generally been maintained at a high level."

The report also commends the increased amount of time that prisoners now spend out of their cells and the chaplaincy, which it said provided, a very positive contribution to the well-being of the prisoners.

However the report also identified a number of problems, including the large catchment area of the prison.

It said the catchment area was creating a system-wide group of youngsters, often with 'tribal differences' who often had the added problem of being able to receive few visits from family and friends because of Northallerton's distance from their homes.

The board, headed by chairman Jacqueline Wells, said the catchment area should be reduced to enable people to visit more easily.

It also identified several other areas of concern, including the ageing accommodation on A Wing and the lack of an outside physical activity area.

The report said: "The age of the building means that accommodation in A Wing is inadequate. The cells, originally built for one, are small and now accommodate two prisoners and a lavatory.

"Prisoners have to take meals as well as wash up in their cells.

"The board would also like to point out, yet again, the lack of an outside activities area.

"This would complete all the PE requirements within the prison and we are confident that this would encourage even more prisoners to make use of this department, which is run by very competent staff."

Every prison has an independent monitoring board made up of volunteers appointed by the Home Secretary.

Its role is to monitor the prison on behalf of the Minister for Prisons and the public and to produce an annual report into its findings.