Child detention harm exposed

Medical Justice, which sends doctors to the centres, said more than half of the children in the 141 cases it had looked at since April 2004 suffered psychological harm, with symptoms including bed wetting and food refusal.

Six of these expressed suicidal ideas and three girls tried to end their lives, the report said.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg described the detention of children as a "moral outrage" earlier this year and the Government plans to end child detention as soon as possible.

Jon Burnett, author of the charity's State Sponsored Cruelty report, said: "The dossier of evidence we are publishing brings to light the extent to which detaining children causes harm, suffering and anguish. Children have attempted to end their own lives, and have been left seriously physically and psychologically damaged."