A new high-tech prison that can hold almost 1,500 criminals has been officially opened - as ministers scramble to deal with overcrowding in jails.

HMP Millsike, in Full Sutton, Yorks, has been fitted with the latest security defences to combat a crisis of drugs, drones and phones that have plagued prisons in recent years.

This includes reinforced barless windows to deter drones, which are increasingly used to deliver deadly knives, guns and drugs into jails.

The jail, which will get its first tranche of around 200 offenders next month, has been fitted with more than 1,800 CCTV cameras, a 5.2m barbed wire fence and ultra-strong windows, which can endure being bashed by a fire extinguisher for 90 minutes.

But while it has its traditional high security, the prison also has a clear aim to try to rehabilitate prisoners, with workshops and training facilities aimed at getting offenders into work on release and away from crime for good.

The jail, which is the size of 39 football pitches, is a resettlement prison - where most prisoners are held at the end of their sentence.

Prisons are currently facing a spiralling capacity crisis, with jails already over 99% full despite emergency measures to release prisoners early.

Some 80% of crimes are done by someone who had offended before and people leaving jail addicted to drugs, with no qualifications and no hope of a new life.

Justice Secretary , who opened the new prison on Thursday, said HMP Millsike "sets the standard for the future because it is a prison designed to cut crime".

As well as the cell blocks, she was shown some of the workshops which will enable 500 offenders at any time to train in skills such as cleaning, bricklaying, barbering and carpentry.

She said: "We must be honest about the challenges we face.

"While this new prison is necessary we simply cannot build our way out of the prisons capacity crisis.

"So, new prisons like Millsike must go alongside longer term sentencing reform."

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Ms Mahmood said her sentencing review will look at reforming sentences, including looking at cutting time for the most dangerous offenders for good behaviour.

Elsewhere the Cabinet minister praised the “important” campaign of Sarah Everard’s parents which calls for stricter sentences for Britain’s most dangerous criminals.

Ms Mahmood said she had “common cause” with Jeremy and Susan Everard and other families wanting the most high-risk criminals to be locked away.

It comes after Jeremy and Susan, whose daughter Sarah was murdered by evil cop in 2021, joined a campaign group Justice For Victims in Parliament earlier this week.