A CHARITY which helps drug-addicted prisoners wants a base on the campus of a leading North Yorkshire public school.

Local residents were surprised to hear that the Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust had approached Ampleforth Abbey with a view to using Redcar Farmhouse.

The farmhouse is a hostel near to the abbey's top-ranking Roman Catholic school, Ampleforth College.

The Trust is a national organisation which mainly works within prisons to try to break the cycle of addiction-based offending affecting many inmates.

Its publicity material includes plaudits for its work from such public figures as Home Secretary Jack Straw, Oscar-winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins, and England football captain Tony Adams.

The Abbey has stressed that the Trust's approach is one of several, and has not so far led to any formal application for a lease.

A spokesman for the abbey said: "Ampleforth Abbey is looking at a number of possible options for Redcar Farmhouse, which has long been used as a hostel for a variety of residential groups visiting Ampleforth for spiritual and recreational purposes.

"We have received several approaches, including one from RAPt, but none of these inquiries has yet resulted in an application for a lease.

"Any proposal we receive will be carefully evaluated before we make a decision, given the seriousness with which we take our responsibilities to the families of our children and our concern for the local community.

"We will not agree to any new use that will cause real concern to people in the area or to our parents."

John Severs, the chairman of Ampleforth Parish Council, who also runs the village Post Office, said he hadn't heard about RAPt's interest in the site. He added the farmhouse was probably 1.5 to two miles from the village on foot, and about eight miles by public road. "It's relatively remote," he said.

"I don't know what the general feeling would be. Certainly nothing has been said about it in my shop."

Local vicar, the Reverend David Newton, had also heard nothing about the proposal. He accepted the abbey's assurance that it would do nothing to cause local concern, saying he was sure there would be safeguards and security.

"I have got every confidence in the community," he said. "I can't imagine there would be anything material or concrete that should cause us to be worried."

Adam Sampson, chief executive of RAPt, said the organisation did not wish to make any comment at this stage, other than to confirm what the abbey spokesman had said.

RAPt was formed in 1992 and estimates it has saved the public purse about £31 million by rehabilitating offenders and ensuring they no longer commit crimes.

PICTURE: Ampleforth College: "looking at a number of possible options"