The number of inmates at Northumberland prison has dropped compared to levels at the start of the pandemic, figures reveal.

With court delays owing to the pandemic being blamed for changes in the normal flow of inmates, the Howard League for Penal Reform said court backlogs had put additional strain on defendants and victims alike.

Ministry of Justice data shows that there were 1,281 inmates at Northumberland prison as of March 31 – 81 fewer than at the same point in 2020.

This is in line with the situation across England and Wales, where the number of prisoners fell by 6 per cent to 78,058 at the end of March.

A MoJ report highlighted the number of people held on remand – those in prison awaiting trial or sentencing – as of March 31, reached a ten-year high last month.

Over the last ten years, there has been a steady falling trend in the number of new prisoners entering the facility each year.

However, as a result of disruption to court processes due to the coronavirus pandemic, the decrease has been sharper.

Crime also fell during the lockdowns.

A spokesman for the MoJ said: “Courts have been prioritising the most urgent cases throughout the pandemic to protect the public and ensure offenders continue to face justice. “Thanks to measures such as Nightingale courts and the rapid expansion of videos hearings, outstanding magistrates’ cases have fallen by 50,000 since last summer.”