ONE of Britain's highest-profile women politicians was in York as headline speaker at a long-standing womens' group's annual conference.

Former Shadow Home Secretary and Tory backbencher Ann Widdecombe was delivering a speech on young offenders to hundreds of members of the National Women's Register (NWR), which was holding its conference at the University of York. Miss Widdecombe said:

"I believe in rehabilitation very strongly. The point of prisons is two-fold, to protect the public but also to make sure individuals have improved as people by the time they have left."

Miss Widdecombe last visited York two weeks ago for a Womens' Institute meeting.

"York is a very attractive city, I always enjoy coming here," she said.

Updated: 13:04 Saturday, April 12, 2003