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Prison staff handcuffed an inmate from an ethnic minority background to cell bars and smeared black boot polish on his buttocks at Feltham Young Offender Institution, the public inquiry into the death of Zahid Mubarek has heard, writes Maria Ahmed.

Giving evidence, former Feltham YOI governor Nicholas Pascoe described the incident as “disgraceful,” and said he believed it had been racially motivated.

He told the inquiry three members of staff were given a final written warning, but were not prosecuted after a critical witness failed to appear and their defence of “horseplay” was accepted by the court.

The prison officers were still working at Feltham YOI two years later when Mubarek, 19, was beaten to death by his cellmate Robert Stewart, then also 19, in March 2000.

 The inquiry continues.