SENIOR managers at the North-East's oldest prison have moved to quell unrest among staff following speculation that the building is to be sold off.

Dave Thompson, deputy governor at Durham Prison, spoke out after news that the Prison Service is considering selling Victorian-built city centre jails, to replace them with modern buildings on brown field sites.

Prison Service director general Martin Narey revealed the option was under consideration in the light of a damning report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Sir David Ramsbotham, about conditions for remand inmates.

Twenty-eight of the 53 prisons in England and Wales are Victorian, and Mr Narey believes the sites could be worth significant sums of money.

He said his proposals were still "at the earliest stages" and have not been agreed with ministers.

Mr Thompson said that, on hearing of the report, some of the 750-strong staff at Durham raised concerns.

The city jail dates from about 1700, and much of the present site was developed from the 1820s onwards.

But he said massive investment in recent years, including a rolling programme of wing-by-wing upgrading, would suggest it was unlikely Durham would be high on any sell-off list.

"I don't expect Durham to be included in this plan.

"The inward investment we have had here equates to the cost of a prison like Holme House, and we're having further remedial work starting in the New Year.

"Given that we have a Grade II-listing, the only thing we could be used for is as a museum or for student accommodation.

"We are quite a successful prison and we have just had an audit team in classifying us in the top five establishments in the country for standards and performance.

"There are nothing like the problems inherent at places like Wormwood Scrubs, Gloucester, Birmingham and Winchester."