The former chief inspector of prisons is accusing the Scottish Executive of creating a second women's prison "by stealth".

Clive Fairweather said the transfer of women prisoners to Greenock, a male prison, would "push things too far" and should be reversed.

Mr Fairweather also accused ministers of snubbing alternatives to custody because of fears over being seen as soft on crime by voters.

The comments came as he was giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament's Justice 1 Committee on his final report before leaving the watchdog job.

When you have got 50 or 60 there then you have got a women's prison

Clive Fairweather former inspector

He said 19 women had been moved to Greenock last month because of overcrowding at Scotland's only jail for women, Cornton Vale.

He said: "We have already got one women's prison in Scotland and now we have got two and one has been created by stealth."

He went on: "When you have got 50 or 60 there then you have got a women's prison.

"So we have got two women's prisons in Scotland and I must say I can't emphasise enough that it was bad enough getting things right at one women's prison.

'Life-threatening'

"Trying to do it at two is going to push things too far.

"Eventually we have got to get back to the position where we have got one women's prison in Scotland."

Clive Fairweather fears things are going too far

Mr Fairweather also warned that overcrowding and high staff sickness levels at Cornton Vale, near Stirling, were creating a "life-threatening" situation.

He said that was partly because the jail had become a victim of its own success with its rehabilitation programmes for its inmates.

"That evidence is anecdotal but where we have got to go is away from that and towards all these alternatives outside."

Mr Fairweather was replaced as chief inspector of prisons last month by Dr Andrew McLellan former Moderator of the general assembly of the Church of Scotland.