Concerns raised over Humberside Police prisoners' safety

The unannounced inspection took place in October 2017

A watchdog has raised concerns over the safety of people held in custody by Humberside Police.

A number of "potential ligature points" had been found in all custody suites, a report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services said.

There were also issues with providing "appropriate adult" (AA) supervision for all children and vulnerable adults.

The force said it was improving areas "that fall below the standards".

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The unannounced inspection was carried out in October in conjunction with HM Inspectorate of Prisons.

The report praised the treatment of detainees who were "generally treated respectfully" and added that "officers dealt well with challenging detainees".

It also said the force had a "good focus on diverting children away from custody or minimising the time they spent there".

'Breached requirements'

However, there were concerns raised over the use of force which the inspectors said was "not always proportionate to the risk posed".

The report also added that the lack of appropriate adults supervision for all children and vulnerable adults. breached police requirements as "some custody processes, such as strip searches, took place without an AA present and without adequate justification for this".

Inspectors noted only four out of 23 recommendations made in a previous report had been achieved "and a further five had been partially achieved".

Assistant Chief Constable Scott Young said he was pleased inspectors found the treatment of detainees was "respectful and well-managed".

"We acknowledge that there were some areas which fell below the standard we would want to provide," he said.

"This is being addressed through improved ongoing training for all our staff and we will continue to build on the progress we have made."