INDEPENDENT watchdogs said young people were being exposed to increased risk as a result of arriving late from courts at a young offenders institute in South Gloucestershire.

The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) for the Ashfield complex in Pucklechurch highlighted continuing problems with late arrivals in its annual report and said they appeared to be escalating.

It said in the three years up to last June, 755 young people arrived at Ashfield after 9pm. Of those, 175 arrived after 11pm and several were brought to the prison in the early hours of the morning.

In 2007-8 more than 70 arrived after 11pm so would not have had a "first night interview" until the following morning.

The report said: "By the time they got to the houseblock it would have been well after midnight.

"We remain fearful of the potential consequences of accepting them into prison custody at such a late hour.

"If this is their first experience of prison, they are particularly vulnerable. If, as has been the case on a number of occasions this year, they have to be up by 6am to go to court the following day, they are arguably not getting fair access to justice."

The board said most late arrivals were from courts in London and the South East.

Those contracted to transport the youngsters said their resources were stretched by the large number of prisoners they had to deal with.

The monitors said Ashfield itself had had another excellent year and despite population pressures for the fifth consecutive year – there were times when it reached its maximum population of 400 – there had been no major incidents.

IMB members praised the setting up of Ashfield College to improve the educational opportunities for offenders, the high standard of accommodation and comprehensive sports facilities.

But they said: "Despite all the good work, there seems to be little support in the community for young people on their release. There appears to be no progress with the establishment of halfway houses.

"These facilities would mean young people were not obliged to return to their former communities."