Plans to re-open an empty prison have repeatedly been delayed due to problems in recruiting prison officers, a newly-published report has found.

But the Government had denied this and claimed there are "no imminent plans" to reopen Downview because "there is enough space in existing prisons".

The Banstead jail was closed as a women’s prison in October 2013, with the Ministry of Justice earmarking it to become a closed category C and D jail for men.

But, a year-and-a-half on, it is still sitting unused - despite concerns about an overcrowding crisis across the country’s prisons.

In a report published last month on Downview by the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB), covering January to December 2014, inspectors concluded that "difficulty in recruiting and training sufficient prison officers" meant it was uncertain when the jail would re-open.

From September: Delay to Downview prison opening due to 'lack of prisoners'

From February: Exclusive - "We need to have a frank debate about the cost of rising prison population", says chief prison inspector Nick Hardwick

As part of then Justice Secretary Chris Grayling's reforms to introduce a much more efficient prisons regime, in 2013 the Government cut prison staff across the board - with more taking voluntary redundancy than it expected.

The IMB report said: "Early in 2014 it became apparent the reopening date was unlikely to be before June 2014 and the date has subsequently been delayed three more times.

"The reasons given for delays were unexpectedly high numbers of officers accepting the [Government’s] Voluntary Early Departure Scheme terms and the nationwide difficulty in recruiting and training sufficient prison officers."

The report said most of Downview’s existing prison officers had been relocated to other London prisons "to help overcome localised staff shortages".

It added: "By the end of 2014 we understood the recruitment programme had not yet met its targets and as a result it was unlikely Downview would be reopened as an adult male prison before April 2015.

"However there remains uncertainty as to when this will actually happen."

The IMB consists of unpaid members of the public who spend two or three days a month in a prison to ensure standards of care and decency are being maintained for its inmates.

Asked when Downview will reopen, what type of prison it will be, why the Prison Service is having difficulties in recruiting new prison officers and how it intends to rectify this, a Prison Service spokesman simply said: "There are no imminent plans to reopen HMP Downview as there is enough space in existing prisons.

"A successful campaign has led to the Prison Service recruiting more than 1,700 new prison officers which will ensure all prisons continue to be suitably staffed and safely run."

In September, a Ministry of Justice spokesman said it did not need to open Downview in the next month because "we have sufficient places".

But according to prison overcrowding figures from the Howard League for Penal Reform, 8,681 men and women are this week being held above the certified normal accommodation (CNA) level - the Prison Service’s own measure of how many prisoners can be held in decent and safe accommodation.

To read the full report click here.

"A CAREER AS A PRISON OFFICER ISN'T ABOUT KEEPING PEOPLE UNDER LOCK AND KEY"

The Prison Service is currently advertising online for Band 3 prison officers for Downview and the neighbouring High Down prison.

"Office worker. Truck driver. Graduate. It doesn’t matter what background you come from: there’s a great future ahead of you if you have the right qualities to become a prison officer," it says.

"A career as a prison officer isn’t about keeping people under lock and key.

"Security is an important aspect of the role, but it’s also about understanding challenging behaviour, acting as a role model and providing encouragement and support so prisoners can break free from crime."

Surrey Comet:

The starting salary for the "outer London" role is given as £21,548 for 37 hours work a week.

The advert says all candidates would be required to pass an online application and numeracy assessment, known as the Prison Officer Selection Test, and then have to attend and pass a number of assessments including a written assessment, role plays, a medical assessment and a fitness test.

If successful, the advert says candidates would need to pass all modules within the Prison Officer Entry Level Training and be subject to a 12-month probationary period.

In terms of training, it says: "All prison officers receive an initial training programme which includes a six-week course, rising to 10 weeks, which is usually provided residentially... your initial training will continue throughout your first year of service."

In February, Nick Hardwick, Chief Inspector of Prisons, told this newspaper that the Prison Service needed to have "a very fundamental look" at the training provided to prison officers.

He said: "We need to recognise the complexity of the task prison officers have and have a very fundamental look at their training.

"It's a few weeks here, in Sweden it's three years. We need to make sure these people have the skills and status they need to do this job properly."

Got a story? Contact Hardeep Matharu by calling 020 8722 6346 or emailing hmatharu@london.newsquest.co.uk.