People arrested in Kent are placed at "significant risk of harm" in police station cells, a report has found.

The report, published by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) said that "immediate action" is needed to be taken to address issues.

The primary concern centred around the safety of suspects, with cell checks a particular source of worry.

Inspectors found that across Kent's 161 cells, observation levels for detainees under the influence of drugs or alcohol were too low, not properly documented and sometimes late without any recorded reason.

They also found that not all custody officers attended handover procedures, and didn't always check on their detainees at the beginning of their shifts.

The report said: "These practices do not follow Authorised Professional Practice (APP) guidance and potentially place detainees at significant risk of harm.

"The force should take immediate action to mitigate the risk to detainees by ensuring that its risk management practices follow guidance and are carried out and recorded to the required standard."

Further details also revealed that a lack of direction meant that staff often did roles that they were not supposed to do, including non-custody staff being asked to carry out tasks beyond their responsibility.

It also suggested that more could be done to make safe areas of the cells – known as 'ligature points' – that detainees could use to self-harm.

While the report identified these concerns and a further 21 areas for improvement, it did find that the service had improved conditions since recommendations were first made in 2014, but serious concerns were still present.

It also found that it has "a good focus" on not taking children and vulnerable people into custody when appropriate, and making sure detainees are treated equally.

'We will be working closely with Kent Police and monitoring its progress...'

Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Roy Wilsher said: “Anyone detained in custody should be treated fairly and kept safe from harm.

"Kent Police has made good progress against the recommendations we made in 2014.

“Custody staff treat detainees respectfully, are calm and patient when talking with them, and respond well to their diverse needs. During our inspection, detainees spoke very positively about their care in custody.

“However, we still have concerns in some areas, such as ensuring detainees are kept safe at all times and how effectively custody services are managed.

"We will be working closely with Kent Police and monitoring its progress against our recommendations.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Adam Ball said: "Kent Police has a duty of care to everyone who is arrested and taken into custody, and it is a responsibility our custody officers and staff take very seriously as part of what can often be a difficult and challenging role.

"We therefore welcome the general view provided by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) that Kent Police cares well for its detainees.

"It is also pleasing that we have been recognised for our focus on diverting children and vulnerable people away from custody, and that detainees themselves have spoken positively about the way they are treated.

"The safety of our detainees is and will always be one of our top priorities, and we are therefore committed to acting on the recommendations we have received to help us improve further in this area in addition to other recommendations relating to how our custody services are managed.

"We have already increased our inspection regime for those detainees who are believed to be suffering from drug or alcohol intake, and are working proactively with the providers of the Appropriate Adult scheme to ensure vulnerable detainees have access to timely support whilst in custody.’