FULL Sutton Prison houses some of the most depraved inmates in Britain. It would be astonishing if violence were eliminated from within its high walls.

But there is a world of

difference between a sudden confrontation and organised brutality.

The unannounced visit of the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Anne Owers, discovered disturbing evidence that a "fight club" was being run by prisoners.

Inmates were being forced into what we must assume was vicious, hand-to-hand combat, with betting on the outcome.

It stretches credibility to imagine that every prison officer was unaware what was going on. A significant number of prisoners disappearing to watch a bout, the noise, and the resulting injuries to the participants - this is all evidence impossible to overlook in such a confined environment.

The lack of closed circuit television cameras in certain areas of the prison would certainly help anyone to turn a blind eye. This is a remarkable omission, and one which should be corrected with urgency.

Perhaps more worrying than the existence of the fight club itself is the revelation that gangs who operated through fear and intimidation on the outside are seemingly able to do the same within Full Sutton.

We would not deny there has been progress at the prison since the 1997 riot. But more needs to be done to end the bullying. The first rule of jail life is you do not let the prisoners take control.

Updated: 10:36 Wednesday, December 07, 2005