Prison officer had behind-bars relationship with convicted drug dealer

A 23-year-old prison officer has been spared jailed after forming a relationship with a convicted drug dealer in Merseyside.
Megan Breen appeared at Cardiff Crown Court where it was heard that she would travel to the Merseyside area to meet the prisoner while he was on home leave and even stayed in a hotel with him to celebrate her 20th birthday.
Breen was working as an operational support grade worker at HMP Prescoed, a category D open prison in Gwent, at the time, the court heard.

She met the unnamed inmate while working night shifts and arranged to meet him while he was on home leave in the Merseyside area, preparing for release.

He had been jailed in October 2020 for four years and four months for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and in May 2021 was transferred to Breen’s prison.

Man ‘not had a life’ as 1990 murder conviction quashed

 A man with learning disabilities who says he felt under pressure to confess to murder says he has not "had a life" for the last 33 years.

Three judges ruled that Oliver Campbell's 1991 conviction for the murder of Baldev Hoondle in east London the previous year was "unsafe".

"I could have had a full-time job, been in a relationship, had kids, been on holiday. I couldn’t do that yesterday, but now I can - and plan the rest of my life," he told the BBC.

His purported confession at the time was made up amid the stress of being "badgered and bullied" during interviews, judges have previously heard.

He said he believed part of the reason why he was jailed was that he was being treated as a "scapegoat", and said: "I didn’t put myself in prison, it’s the system that put me there".

Speaking to the BBC, he added that despite his time in prison, he had not lost faith in the justice system, and had never considered ending his fight against his conviction.

"The weight is off my shoulders, but the thing is, there is still someone who committed a crime out there… that’s all I’ve got to say," he said.

The Crown Prosecution Service, which opposed the bid, said they respected the judgement of the court.

"The Court of Appeal rejected 17 grounds of appeal and these convictions were only quashed on the basis of new evidence providing more information about Oliver Campbell's mental state when he confessed to murder," a spokesperson said.

Among the grounds of appeal rejected was a claim of "serious allegations of manipulation, deliberate misleading bullying" made against police officers.

In their ruling, external, Lord Justice Holroyde, sitting with Mr Justice Bourne and Mrs Justice Stacey, said the court could not be sure how a jury would have considered new evidence of mental capacity and “on that narrow but very important basis, we have concluded that the convictions are unsafe.”

Given Mr Campbell had already spent more than a decade in prison, and more than two decades on licence, he could not have a fair trial where he would be unable to process the information.

• Oliver Campbell: I felt 'under pressure' to confess

• Newsnight: Calls to review 30-year-old murder conviction

Mr Campbell was jailed for life in 1991 over the murder of Mr Hoondle, who was shot dead during a botched robbery in Hackney carried out by two men.

His lawyers and supporters say his confession at the time mirrored what he had watched on BBC's Crimewatch.

Mr Campbell was released on a life licence in 2002 and lives in Felixstowe, Suffolk, with the assistance of a close group of friends and helpers.

His supporters added: "We are all in tears. Ollie's life starts now."

Mr Campbell suffered a brain injury when he was a baby. Experts say the injury has badly affected his memory and general ability to process more than basic information, leaving him suggestible and vulnerable to potential manipulation.

His barrister, Michael Birnbaum KC, told the court earlier this year that there were "ample" grounds to find the conviction unsafe - suggesting he was "badgered and bullied" by police into giving a false confession over his involvement.

Mr Birnbaum said that his client's learning disabilities meant he made admissions which were "simply absurd" and "nonsense", and contained a "litany of inconsistencies" against the facts of the case.

Lord Justice Holroyde said in the ruling: "We accept that, considered in the light of the fresh evidence, the rulings might be different."

He continued: "A jury knowing of the fresh evidence would be considering the reliability of those confessions in a materially different context.

"In those circumstances, we cannot say that the fresh evidence could not reasonably have affected the decision of the jury to convict."

The judge said that the decision would be a "heavy blow" to the family of Mr Hoondle, but he trusted "they will understand that we must reach our decisions in accordance with the law, uninfluenced by emotion".

Officers will continue to support Mr Hoodle's family, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson added.

"The murder of Baldev Singh Hoondle in July 1990 was fully investigated by detectives at the time with a range of evidence brought before a jury who convicted the defendant the following year," they also said.

After Mr Campbell was arrested in late 1990, he was interviewed 14 times by detectives as they sought to build a case to prove that the then 19-year-old had pulled the trigger.

Officers at Hackney Police Station recognised that Mr Campbell had learning difficulties and, for the first 10 interviews, local social services had provided an adult to assist him.

His lawyers believe the purported confession may have therefore been inspired by what he had remembered seeing on the TV, as he tried to end the repeated questioning.

Speaking to BBC Newsnight in 2021, Mr Campbell said the trauma of his conviction had destroyed his life, and that he had lost contact with most of his friends and family.

"It’s disgusting what's happened to me," he told the programme. "That's all I've got to say, it's disgusting how different people out there got away with what they've done to me in my life in 1991."

Mr Campbell added: "I'm an innocent person in the justice system and in the prison system. The justice system put me there."

The quashing of the conviction comes 20 years after the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), the miscarriages of justice body, rejected his pleas for help - and after two inquiries were triggered into how it had handled the case of Andy Malkinson, who was cleared of rape after a 20-year campaign.

A spokesperson for the CCRC said it referred Mr Campbell's case in 2022, having declined to do so in 2005, "in light of new evidence that his vulnerabilities had not been properly understood or explained at trial".

The commission's review involved speaking again to an expert used at the original trial, as well as a second expert who explained "how a modern approach to assessing Mr Campbell would take a more holistic view that considered his background and experience".

"The Court of Appeal judgment makes clear that its decision is based on fresh evidence from recent research work, and that the understanding of the factors which may contribute to a false confession has increased," the CCRC said.

"It also states that there have been important developments in the law relating to admissibility of evidence and in matters of practice and procedure relevant to a fair trial."

Nurse struck off after smuggling phone into jail for drugs gang

 Kymberley Finn was working at HMP Durham when she became involved in what police described as a ‘complex organised drug conspiracy’

A prison nurse who smuggled a mobile phone into jail for a drugs operation has been struck off the nursing register after regulators ruled she had “brought the profession into disrepute”.

Kymberley Finn, 33, was working at HMP Durham on an agency contract when she became involved in what police described as a “complex organised drug conspiracy”.

The scheme unravelled when officers searching a cell at HMP Northumberland in August 2022 discovered a phone containing messages about drugs and also discovered contraband.
Finn, from Boldon Colliery, was one of eight people sentenced in January 2025 over the wider plot to smuggle drugs into HMP Northumberland and HMP Durham. She was not charged with drug offences but admitted conspiracy to convey prohibited articles into prison. She received a nine‑month jail term, suspended for 18 months, along with rehabilitation requirements.

Following this conviction, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) launched misconduct proceedings. In its January 2026 ruling, the panel said Finn had been “a significant participant in a conspiracy involving several other people to introduce a banned item to a prison” and had knowingly abused her position.

“Taking into account Miss Finn’s significant breach of trust and her own understanding that what she was doing was illegal, the panel found that maintenance of public confidence in the nursing profession required a finding of impairment,” the decision stated. “Members of the public would be appalled if a registered nurse were not found impaired in circumstances where the nurse had abused their position of trust in this way.”

The panel acknowledged Finn’s early guilty plea, her previously good character, and the fact that no patient had been harmed. But it concluded that anything short of striking her off would be “disproportionate to the gravity of the offence” and “insufficient to address public interest concerns”.

Finn has now been removed from the NMC register, barring her from working as a registered nurse, midwife or nursing associate.
The panel concluded that the seriousness of Finn’s behaviour is “at a high level” and her “actions are fundamentally incompatible with her remaining on the register”.

Prison officer jailed for relationship with inmate

 An "immature" female prison officer who had a relationship with a convicted murderer has been jailed for eight months.

Ellis Eyles was 21 and working at HMP Deerbolt, near Barnard Castle in County Durham, when she helped Mitchell Ingham, who stabbed a man to death in 2015, by telling him the whereabouts of a man he wanted to harm.

Their romance was discovered after officers conducted a routine cell search and found an illicit iPhone at the prison.

Eyles was jailed at Durham Crown Court earlier after she admitted a single count of misconduct in public office at a previous hearing.

Investigations found Ingham and Eyles contacted each other with messages and video calls.

Ingham asked about the whereabouts of another prisoner, saying he "will get him done in," Durham Crown Court heard.

Antonia Adie, prosecuting, said phone analysis revealed the pair had been in contact in June and July 2023, exchanging information such as phone numbers and addresses.

'Serious error'

In one message, the court heard Eyles told the convicted killer: "Miss you xxx".

On another occasion, Ingham messaged her: "Phone me babe x".

In response to the text asking for the location of the inmate Ingham wanted to harm, Eyles told him he was in a segregation unit, the prosecution said.

Judge Richard Bennett, presiding, said: "It's clear you were in some kind of romantic relationship with this prisoner."

Robert Mochrie, defending, said Eyles was "immature" when she started at the prison and had only completed six weeks of training.

Half a day of that covered anti-corruption training, he said.

"What you have here is a person of hitherto good character who falls into serious error by virtue of manipulation of the criminal mind," Mochrie said.

He said Eyles, now 24 and from Darlington, had an "incredible work ethic" and was employed by a bank after she left the Prison Service.

Ingham, 25, was sentenced to nine months at a previous hearing for offences related to possessing and using a phone in jail.

He was previously jailed for the 2015 murder of Dominic Doyle in a pub in Denton, Greater Manchester.

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Drug-smuggling prison officer jailed

 A Lancashire prison officer smuggled spice, cannabis resin, buprenorphine and ketamine into a jail by hiding the drugs in tins of food, a court has heard.

Julia Watson, of Cheetham Meadow in Leyland, was jailed for four months after admitting four counts at Preston Crown Court of smuggling prohibited goods into HMP Garth, near Leyland.

The 61-year-old had been working at the Category B prison since August 2015 when she was caught on 20 April 2024.

Officers from the prison's dedicated search team found two carrier bags containing cans filled with drugs.

'Forensic analysis'

Five tins, disguised as branded food products, were found to contain synthetic cannabis - more commonly known as spice, said North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU).

CCTV footage and X-ray scanner images from the prison's gate security area confirmed the items matched those brought in by Watson earlier that morning.

Other footage showed Watson taking "an unusual route through" the prison and operating a waste management truck which stopped near A Wing before the items were discovered.

A mobile device, handwritten notes, cash, and other personal items were found in a search at her home.

Forensic analysis of the seized tins and packaging identified a fingerprint belonging to Watson on one of the carrier bags containing the drugs.

She was subsequently arrested and suspended from duty.

Insp Brian Morley, from NWROCU's prison investigation unit said: "This operation has successfully exposed and dismantled a breach of trust that threatened the safety and integrity of HMP Garth.

"The prison value of the drugs Julia Watson brought into the prison is up to £95,000, and the presence of such substances fuels violence, debt, intimidation, and exploitation among prisoners."

Female probation officer jailed for improper relationship with inmate

 A former probation officer has been imprisoned for eight months having been caught on CCTV having a relationship with a prisoner. She was shown kissing him during a prison visit.

The 27-year-old woman met the man whilst she was working at HMP Belmarsh, but their relationship did not start until she moved to work at HMP Brixton. She began to message him on an illegal mobile phone he had, and sent explicit pictures to him. She then arranged to visit him several times between February and May 2024 at HMP Lowdham Grange in Nottinghamshire, where staff noticed their physical contact.

She pleaded guilty to a charge of misconduct in a public office.

Prison tutor admits 'sexual encounter' with inmate

 A prison tutor has been warned she faces jail after admitting she had a sexual relationship with an inmate.

Kelly Duffey, 36, from Amesbury, Wiltshire, pleaded guilty at Winchester Crown Court to two charges of misconduct in a public office in connection with an affair with a 38-year-old prisoner at HMP Erlestoke.

The prisoner, Ashley Goodridge, has also pleaded guilty to sending a photo using a phone from the category C men's prison.

Recorder Gemma White warned Duffey that she could be facing a prison term when both defendants are sentenced on 16 April.

Record 18 female prison officers dismissed over illicit relationships

 A record 18 female prison officers were dismissed in 2025 for having illicit relationships with prisoners, according to the Ministry of Justice.

The figure was disclosed to The Sun following a Freedom of Information request. The newspaper reported that during the past three years an average of 13 women officers were dismissed over the issue, compared with an average of just three a year between 2017 and 2019.

The figures are likely to underestimate the scale of the problem because they do not count women who resigned before being dismissed, or women who had affairs with prisoners whilst working in prisons in other capacities, such as healthcare or education staff who are not directly employed by the Ministry of Justice.

According to the Freedom of Information release, the past five years have seen 252 investigations into female prison officers over alleged illicit relationships, of which 105 led to disciplinary action and 58 to dismissal.

Women working in prisons who are caught forming illicit relationships with prisoners can face a criminal charge of misconduct in public office. In the past three months Inside Time has reported 22 such cases from courts across England and Wales, including healthcare, education and probation workers. 

Andrew Neilson from the Howard League for Penal Reform said: “This issue is not one that can be swept under the carpet. More research and mobile data is needed to ensure there are sound policies for recruitment with adequate checks and proper training for all staff.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice commented: “Where officers fall below our high standards, we do not hesitate to take robust action. Whilst the vast majority of our staff are honest, we are now catching more of the minority who break the rules with a bolstered counter corruption unit and stronger vetting.”

Charlie Taylor criticises vetting as more female officers go on trial for corruption

 In a new case, a 21-year-old former officer from Fosse Way has been charged with misconduct in a public office for having an improper relationship with an inmate. The evidence involved the transmission of images and sounds from a prison, and the acceptance of money from his family.

Two female members of her alleged lover’s family have already pleaded guilty to transmitting images from the jail and will be sentenced on 18 February. The former officer has been released on bail and will reappear in court on 9 March.

Meanwhile a former officer from Fosse Way has been jailed after admitting a sexual relationship with an inmate. Whilst working at the prison, she became involved with a 31-year-old inmate and brought cannabis into prison for him. The woman admitted six offences including misconduct in public office, and was given a three-year jail sentence at Northampton Crown Court. The male prisoner, having admitted encouraging her was jailed for three years and four months, in addition to the 11 years he was already serving for burglary. Judge Rebecca Crane said: “You failed to consider the seriousness of your actions and the potential impact on the security and safety of the staff and prisoners, and how it undermined the work of the prison.” The female officer had begun work at the prison in July 2024, aged 18 years. The male prisoner had been at Fosse Way for one month when she started working there.

Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor in an interview with The Times newspaper, said that some prison staff are too young and inexperienced to deal with hardened criminals, and are at risk from being “exploited.” He called for anti-corruption training to be carried out on a rolling basis. He added: “Lots of Governors are very worried about this matter. I think some of the recruitment vetting processes are not always adequate.”

Prison officer admits relationship with inmate

 A female prison officer has admitted having a sexual relationship with an inmate.

Jahvine Kwamba, 21, pleaded guilty on Monday at Leicester Crown Court to two counts of misconduct in judicial or public office, and a charge of transmitting an image and sound from prison without authority.

The court heard that between 25 February 2024 and 3 June 2024, she engaged in a sexual relationship with an unnamed prisoner at HMP Fosse Way, in Leicestershire, and accepted money from relatives of a serving prisoner between 18 March 2024 and 3 June 2024.

Kwamba, of Old Hall Crescent, Doncaster, is due to be sentenced on 17 April at Leicester Crown Court.

Inmate charged with murder of Soham killer Ian Huntley

 A prison inmate has been charged with the murder of Soham killer Ian Huntley, police have said.

Anthony Russell, 43, will appear at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court via video link on Wednesday, a spokesman for Durham Constabulary said.

Huntley died on Saturday following an attack at HMP Frankland in County Durham at the end of February.

The former school caretaker murdered 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002 in the Cambridgeshire town of Soham.

Police said: "Emergency services were called to reports of an assault in the workshop on the morning of Thursday, February 26."

Sources previously told the BBC that Huntley was found lying in a pool of blood after being bludgeoned with a makeshift weapon at the high security prison.

Huntley, 52, was taken to hospital with serious injuries where he died nine days later, police said.

He had been serving a life sentence, with a minimum term of 40 years, for murdering Holly and Jessica.

The schoolgirls vanished after leaving a family barbecue in Soham in August 2002.

It is believed they were on their way to buy sweets when Huntley, then aged 28, lured them back to his home and killed them.

Their disappearance made national headlines and led to tireless searches, with the girls' bodies found in a ditch a fortnight after they went missing.

Huntley was arrested the same day. His girlfriend Maxine Carr was also jailed in 2003 after being found guilty of conspiring to pervert the course of justice for giving him a false alibi. She was given a new identity after being freed from jail in May 2004.

The Ministry of Justice has previously said Huntley's crime "remains one of the most shocking and devastating cases in our nation's history, and our thoughts are with their families".

This was not the only time Huntley had been attacked in prison.

In 2005, he was attacked by an inmate who threw boiling water over him at HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire.

Five years later, he was slashed across the throat at HMP Frankland and needed 21 stitches.

Breaking Boundaries: The Rise of Illicit Relationships Between Female Prison Officers and Inmates

 Over the five-year period leading up to 2024–2025, prison authorities faced a growing challenge involving inappropriate relationships between staff and inmates. One particularly concerning trend was the number of investigations involving female prison officers accused of forming illicit relationships with prisoners. According to available figures, more than 250 investigations were launched into female officers alone during this time. While investigations do not always result in disciplinary action, the scale of these inquiries highlights the seriousness of the issue and the pressure it places on prison management, staff integrity, and institutional security.

Prisons operate on a strict framework of authority, boundaries, and professional conduct. Officers are responsible for maintaining safety, enforcing rules, and ensuring that inmates are treated fairly and securely. When staff members become involved in personal or romantic relationships with prisoners, those boundaries break down. Such relationships can lead to manipulation, favoritism, smuggling of contraband, or breaches of confidential information. Even the suspicion of misconduct can undermine trust between staff and leadership, and may weaken the perceived legitimacy of prison authority among inmates.

The investigation figures suggest that prison services have taken a proactive stance in addressing allegations. Launching over 250 inquiries demonstrates that prison authorities are willing to examine claims thoroughly rather than ignore warning signs. In many cases, investigations begin after colleagues report unusual behavior, communication records are flagged, or intelligence suggests that professional boundaries may have been crossed. These processes are important for maintaining accountability and protecting both inmates and staff from exploitation or coercion.

However, the outcomes of some investigations reveal that misconduct does occur. In 2025, a record number of 18 female prison officers were dismissed after being found to have engaged in relationships with inmates. This figure represents the highest annual number recorded in recent years and reflects the seriousness with which prison authorities are responding to confirmed violations. Over the past five years, a total of 58 female staff members have been dismissed for similar offenses. While this number represents only a small fraction of the overall prison workforce, each case raises questions about recruitment, training, workplace pressures, and the challenges of maintaining professional distance in a prison environment.

Several factors may contribute to these incidents. Prisons can be highly stressful workplaces, with officers often working long shifts in demanding conditions. Inmates may attempt to exploit emotional vulnerabilities or gradually build inappropriate rapport with staff. Training programs often warn officers about “grooming” tactics used by prisoners, where seemingly harmless interactions slowly escalate into personal relationships or rule-breaking behavior. Without strong institutional support and clear reporting systems, staff may find it difficult to address these situations early.

The rise in investigations and dismissals also underscores the importance of clear policies and ongoing oversight. Many prison systems have introduced stricter rules on communication, monitoring of electronic devices, and mandatory training on professional boundaries. These measures are designed not only to prevent misconduct but also to protect staff from situations that could compromise their careers.

Ultimately, the statistics from the past five years serve as a reminder that maintaining professional integrity within prisons is essential to institutional safety. While the vast majority of officers carry out their duties responsibly, the cases that do occur can have serious consequences. Continued vigilance, effective training, and transparent investigations will remain critical in ensuring that prisons operate safely and fairly for everyone involved.

Silenced for Speaking Out

 

Silenced for Speaking Out

Recently, I have been placed on phone restrictions by the prison service following comments I made about the probation service. The justification given was that by mentioning certain individuals by name, I had allegedly put their lives at risk.

What makes this situation even more concerning is that the comment in question was made over six months ago. For half a year, nothing was said. No warning was issued. No immediate action was taken. Yet only now am I being punished for it. That delay raises serious questions about whether this is truly about safety — or about something else entirely.

The names I referred to are already publicly available information. They were not confidential, nor were they exposed unlawfully. Despite this, I am facing restrictions as though I have committed a serious and immediate breach.

Under these new limitations, I am allowed either nine phone calls per day or a total of two hours on the phone — whichever comes first. Once I reach that limit, I am cut off from further communication. To someone on the outside, that might sound reasonable. But in prison, the phone is not a luxury — it is a lifeline. It is how we maintain family relationships, protect our mental health, manage legal matters, and remain connected to the world beyond these walls.

These restrictions feel disproportionate and unjust. The timing alone makes it difficult to ignore the possibility that this is less about safety and more about silencing criticism. Speaking about my experiences — even when they are uncomfortable for the authorities — should not result in punitive measures months later.

This is not just about phone access. It is about fairness. It is about the right to raise concerns without fear of delayed retaliation. And it is about being treated not just as a prisoner, but as a human being with fundamental rights.

When punishment comes six months after the fact, it doesn’t feel like protection. It feels like suppression. And that is something worth challenging.

Gang that used drones for prison drops jailed

 A gang that used drones to smuggle drugs, weapons and mobile phones into prisons has been jailed.

An estimated 75% of drone drops across London's prisons were due to the seven men who targeted prisons including Wormwood Scrubs, Brixton, Pentonville and Wandsworth.

Shafaghatullah Mohseni, 29, Hashim Al-Hussaini, 28, Mohammed Hamoud, 22, Faiz Salah, 29, Zahar Essaghi, 51, Mustafa Ibrahim, 30, and Emanuel Fisniku, 25, were sentenced at Harrow Crown Court.

Det Insp John Cowell said: "This highly organised gang thought they were outsmarting the police and prison authorities. What they didn't know is they were subject to sustained specialist surveillance by Met officers."

All seven men admitted their roles in a "serious, organised, and prolific enterprise" to supply Class B and C drugs, and conveying list A and B articles into prisons. The hearing was held at Hendon Magistrates' Court, where some Harrow Crown Court cases are being heard.

The men would travel by car to the prisons, often in the early hours of the morning, and fly packages filled with contraband through cell windows.

CCTV footage shows some of the gang attaching fishing wire to a drone which was tied to a package and melted using a lighter to secure it. This was then flown to the prisoners in their cells.

The gang also targeted prisons in Norwich, Leicester, Onley in Northamptonshire and Bedford.

At the centre of the conspiracy was Mohseni, an Afghan national who was granted leave to remain as a child in the UK in 2003.

He was sentenced to five years and three months and will serve at least 40% of that.

He was described in court as having the leading role behind almost every drop, organising flights, operating the drones, co-ordinating drivers and lookouts, handling payments totalling more than £30,000, and communicating directly with prisoners using illicit mobile phones inside the jails.

His defence barrister argued the 29-year-old had built up debts of about £30,000 from a gambling addiction and feared for his safety.

The court heard that one drone crashed and was seized by the authorities at HMP Wandsworth.

It contained cannabis, capsules of Pregabalin known as "new Valium", and tablets of Alprazolam commonly sold under the brand name Xanax.

Another package was intercepted inside Wandsworth Prison, after police notified staff of a drone flight to a specific cell. The package contained cannabis, cigarettes and five iPhones.

Financial investigations showed money being transferred from associates of serving prisoners to fund the operation.

Last year, the chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor warned of the increased risk drones would pose for smuggling weapons and drugs into prisons.

'Significant shortfalls' in probation service

 There are "significant shortfalls" in the West Midlands probation service, inspectors have found.

HM Inspectorate of Probation undertook a review of public protection measures across the region, inspecting 84 cases.

Martin Jones, chief inspector of probation, said: "Despite strong leadership commitment and clear strategic priorities to improve public protection, the delivery of work to keep people safe was not yet meeting the required standard.

"Staff understood its importance however, worryingly, this was not reflected consistently in the quality of assessment, planning, and delivery."

A report by the inspectorate said its findings revealed significant shortfalls in practice across the region, with effective work to keep people safe being evident in 49% of the assignments inspected.

Of the cases they inspected, most involved white men, aged 36-55, with violence and sexual offending the most frequent offence types, with concerns about domestic abuse and risk to children also prevalent across the sample.

According to the inspectorate, child safeguarding practice in the service was found to be "underdeveloped and an area for urgent attention".

However, inspectors found that domestic abuse information sharing had improved as a result of joint efforts by probation and police leaders.

'Systemic barriers'

The report added that managers were not consistently identifying practice deficits and opportunities to protect the public were missed.

Recruitment was also hampered by excessive vetting delays, while pay and workloads were frequently cited as retention concerns.

While staffing challenges were less acute than in other areas of the country, resourcing was found to have remained a challenge for rural areas in the region such as Herefordshire, which had acute recruitment difficulties and resulted in high workloads.

Jones said: "Systemic barriers, including resourcing, organisational complexity and insufficient multi-agency communication remained significant challenges for the West Midlands region to overcome.

"Strengthening the skills and improving the confidence of practitioners will be essential in ensuring the region can consistently meet its public protection responsibilities."

The report made seven recommendations, with four for the West Midlands region, including to develop practitioners' confidence and skills in the use of professional curiosity, and using challenging conversations to identify and respond to indicators of risk effectively.

There are a further three recommendations for the HM Prison and Probation Service, including to develop a national strategic approach to information sharing with police and children's services.