Conditions at Britain's most overcrowded prison are likely to get even worse as it struggles with "decrepit" buildings, a government inspector warned today.

The chief inspector of prisons, Anne Owers, said numbers at Preston prison were unlikely to go down despite the severe problems it experiences due to its large population.
She said: "Preston's problems are common to many local prisons: historic, somewhat decrepit buildings, underinvestment, a history of poor industrial relations, and an ever-rising number of prisoners, many of them challenging and needy."