A damning catalogue of violence, bullying, suicides and crime has been exposed at one of Britain’s young offenders institutions (YOI).

Inspectors who visited Glen Parva YOI in Leicestershire reported some prisoners were charging others “rent” for their cells and threatening violence if they did not pay.

There were increasing levels of assaults against prisoners and staff, and links between bullying and self-harm.

Two young men killed themselves in 2013, there were two “serious near misses” in 2014 and a further suicide.

Inspectors found increased numbers of serious incidents such as building barricades and hostage-taking and rooftop protests had also increased.

The inspectors declared the prison “unsafe” and called for change.

Glen Parva holds more than 650 inmates aged 18 to 21.

Frances Crook, chief executive of campaigners the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “This prison is dangerous for teenagers and this sounds more like an extract from William Golding’s Lord Of The Flies than a report on an institution that is meant to help young people turn their lives around.

“Yet another report of violence and idleness inflicted on teenagers by the state shows that the use of short prison sentences and remand is at the core of the problem.”

The damning report comes less than a week after the Ministry of Justice revealed a leap in the number of on-the-run inmates in the last year, as well as an increase in deaths in custody and a rise in the number of jails considered to be “of concern.”