INMATES at Wiltshire's only prison are becoming increasingly unruly, a report has revealed.

The Independent Monitoring Board's findings for Erlestoke prison, near Westbury show there were four times as many 'reportable incidents' between May and November as the previous year. While staff reported seven such incidents in 2002, the figure rose to 28 in the latter part of last year.

The report says the type of prisoner coming to Erlestoke is getting "more difficult to manage". With new inmates starting off in the same unit, it stresses that this brings an obvious pressure to prison life.

While it notes Erlestoke achieved all key performance indicators set by the Prison Service, it recommends areas for improvement.

The report says Erlestoke's population, which increased from 346 to 426 during 2003, has led to a greater need for segregation.

It states: "The board anticipates that these problems in prisoner management are likely to continue. They are a direct result of the greater number of people now held within the prison system."

Building work has meant playing fields have become storage areas for contractors' equipment. The report states that with prisoner numbers increasing the "need to have this ground back in use for the purpose from which it was intended has become more urgent than ever."