Gartree Prison in Leicester is being let down by a "serious" shortage of staff, according to a new report.

The Board of Visitors pays tribute to the high standards of employees at the prison, but also highlights areas of concern.

The report describes the prison as "seriously understaffed", and says pressure on the budget is having a significant impact on the services it provides.

Despite more than 30 proven allegations of racial discrimination between prisoners, there are not enough resources to release a member of staff to train as a race relations officer.

'Difficult job'

The Board of Visitors also cites several instances where a Sikh minister had to be turned away from the prison, simply because nobody was available to escort him.

Other services, such as one-to-one psychologist work and the gymnasium have also been affected by shortages.

However, the report says the prison is still a "safe place" with no suicides this year.

It also praises staff for doing a "difficult job with compassion".