A HIGH-security prison in Worcestershire is among nine prisons rated as a "serious concern", data shows.

Long Lartin in South Littleton, near Evesham, falls into this category according to the Annual Prison Performance Ratings for 2022/23.

Nine prisons (7.6%) were in the category, a rise of two prisons from 2019/20, and they also include Bedford, Bristol, Deerbolt in Co Durham, Foston Hall in Derbyshire, Isis in south-east London, Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire, Wandsworth and Styal in Cheshire.

Prisoners at Long Lartin are serving long or indeterminate sentences and are considered to pose a significant risk of harm to the public.

It comes as the chief inspector of prisons called for the closure of one in ten prisons in England and Wales, singling out Victorian-era inner-city jails.

In an interview with the Guardian, Charlie Taylor cited HMPs Wandsworth, Pentonville, Liverpool, Leicester, Lewes, Exeter, Bristol and Leeds among those in need of immediate attention.

He said: "There are an awful lot of jails that have got just far more prisoners than they were originally designed for.

"But also the infrastructure of some of those jails really struggles. You're probably talking about 10% of jails that struggle to be fit for purpose."

Asked whether he believed that about 14 prisons - just over 10% of the total - should be closed in an ideal world, he said "Yes".

With the next general election to be called any time until January 2025, the chief inspector also warned politicians against promising to increase sentences without thought.

He said: "Sentencing is a matter for the courts and ministers decide policy. But I think there should be a bigger conversation about what we want from prisons.

"What is our expectation of what we are going to get? Because, apart from a handful, the prisoners we lock up are coming out at some stage."

A Prison Service spokesman said: "The latest figures show that the majority of prisons are performing well and, where there are issues, we are providing intensive support for those jails to drive long-term improvements, recruit extra staff, bolster security and boost training and work opportunities for prisoners so we can better protect the public.

"We are also pressing ahead with the biggest expansion of prison places by any Government in over a century, delivering 20,000 additional spaces including six new, modern prisons."

According to figures released by the Ministry of Justice in July, the number of prisons rated "outstanding" reached its lowest point in six years.

Overall, though, 75 prisons (63.0%) received ratings of either "good" or "outstanding".