Nottinghamshire Police custody suites rated 'poor'

Police custody suites in Nottinghamshire have been rated as poor after a snap inspection found them to be dirty with minimal quality checks.

The joint report from Her Majesty's Inspectorates of Constabulary and Prisons was based on visits to Worksop, Mansfield and Nottingham's Bridewell.

It also expressed concerns about convoluted management and inconsistent health and safety procedures.

Nottinghamshire Police said it was disappointed but accepted the report.

'Unacceptable environment'

The inspection also raised issues about the quality and consistency of risk assessments and CCTV coverage.

It did however praise respectful interaction between staff and detainees and good healthcare provision.

A spokesman for HM Inspectorates of Constabulary and Prisons said: "The environment at Nottingham was unacceptable, and management, quality assurance and risk management arrangements needed urgent attention.

"We gave the force immediate feedback after our inspection and we are pleased to note they responded quickly and effectively to our concerns."

Assistant Chief Constable Paul Broadbent said: "We have ensured that our management plans, which were already in existence, are now more easily accessible to those who need them.

"We have also provided additional training to staff around the areas of risk management, while improvements to CCTV were already being put in place at the time of the inspection."