INCREASED attacks on staff and between inmates at Long Lartin maximum security prison led to a crisis meeting at the jail.

At a union meeting of prison officers a unanimous vote of no confidence in the management was taken. This action followed a poor performance record earlier this year. Now a new governor has been appointed.

Union leader Mick Redman, who represents about 370 prison officers, said: "We had a meeting of about 70 staff and the vote was unanimous about management and 12 against and 10 for the previous governor."

He said staff felt they were not getting the backing when putting inmates on report, which could have an affect on parole, and consequently discipline lapsed. Mr Redman said: "Assaults were increasing. One member of staff had part of his ear bitten off." He added that staff had every confidence in the new governor and that management was now getting back on track.

Nick Leader took over a month ago after the departure of Francis Masserick, who moved to a race relations role at Prison Service Headquarters after two years as governor.

Mr Leader took over when the prison had dropped two levels in the Prison Service performance ratings. It was deemed stable, secure and providing a limited but decent regime yet experienced difficulties meeting targets and/or suffering operational problems.

Mr Leader started as a prison officer in Birmingham in 1985 and first became a governor in Reading in 2001.

He said the infrastructure at Long Lartin was sound and the latest security review gave one of the highest ratings he has ever known in a prison.

He said he hoped to maintain investments in staff and training and provide better access to formal education and qualifications or industry for the 436 inmates currently detained at Long Lartin.

l WORLD snooker champion Ronnie O'Sullivan was due to visit his father in Long Lartin prison today.

Mr O'Sullivan, who won the Embassy World Championship earlier this month, said he would be visiting his father Ronnie, who is serving a life sentence for murder.