THE latest inspection of custody suites in Sussex has revealed a “mixed picture”, inspectors have said.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Inspectorate of Prisons has carried out the first inspection of the force’s treatment of detainees since 2011.

Concerns have been raised that the force has made no progress in eliminating the risks of inmates hanging themselves and “inadequate” collation of data from computer systems.

The report also flagged up “weaknesses” in the way the force arrested and questioned suspects with an over-reliance of conducting reviews remotely by telephone.

Inspectors also flagged up concerns about the number of detainees under the Mental Health Act taken into cells as a place of safety.

The force was named as the worst in the country for detaining people with mental health issues in cells in 2015 and last year received almost a quarter of a million pounds from the Government to deal with the issue.

The report found mental health services and the street triage provided by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust was good.

Inspectors also found most detainees continued to be treated with respect and consideration, the condition of most cells was still adequate and that the force was committed to preventing the criminalisation of young people.

The force was on the end of an unannounced inspection of its 136 custody cells at six cities and towns in November.

Of the 19 recommendations from February 2011, eight recommendations had been achieved, two had been partially achieved and nine had not been achieved.

Peter Clarke, chief inspector of prisons, and Dru Sharpling, inspector of constabulary, said: “Despite some mixed findings, this was still a relatively positive inspection. Importantly, most detainees held in police custody in Sussex continued to be treated decently.

“We look forward to seeing that the work required to achieve the necessary improvements is carried out.”

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Phelps said it had been a “positive inspection” and the force already had in place plans to improve areas of concern.

He said: “The number of people detained in custody under section 136 is monitored monthly and before we received the HMIC report, we had begun to address the issue.

“We held a multi-agency meeting along with the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to understand the situation.

“We know there are not always enough beds for those in a mental health crisis, however we are always focused on keeping them safe, although a cell is never the ideal option.”