 The report into the Yarl's Wood fire could take six to nine months |
The Prisons Ombudsman has taken over the inquiry into the fire at the Yarl's Wood centre, it has been revealed. Stephen Shaw, a former director of the Prison Reform Trust charity, is expected to spend six to nine months working on the inquiry.
The �80m Yarl's Wood centre near Bedford, designed to hold 900 asylum seekers, was badly damaged by fire during disturbances in February 2002.
A Home Office spokesman told BBC News Online that Mr Shaw has replaced Stephen Moore, a former governor of Bedford Prison, in running the inquiry.
'Independent perspective'
He said Mr Shaw had been chosen because the Home Secretary wanted someone with an "independent perspective" to complete the inquiry.
However, evidence gathered by Mr Moore would form part of the inquiry.
The spokesman said the Home Office could not comment how long the inquiry would take.
The process had been hampered by the fact that police and fire officers would not give evidence until the end of the trials of people accused of offences in connection with the fire.
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