A RESTRAINING technique used on a Burnley teenager before he killed himself in custody has been banned.

The use of the 'nose distraction technique' has been suspended after a report by the Government Child-ren's Commissioner raised serious concerns.

Prof Sir Al Aynsley-Green said in his report that there had been 3,000 incidents of youngsters being restrained with a range of techniques.

The method whereby pressure is applied to the bridge of the nose was used on 14-year-old Adam Rickwood, from Burnley, before he hanged himself while on remand at Hassockfield Secure Training Centre, County Durham, in August 2004.

Home Office officials changed the rules in July, in the wake of the inquest into Adam's death, in a bid to clarify the use of restraining techniques.

But the commissioner said a decision to allow the techniques to be used to "maintain good order and discipline" had only made the situation more confused and open to interpretation.

And now the use of the nose distraction technique, along with an embrace hold deployed by two adult officers, has been suspended.

Prof Aynsley-Green said: "We are concerned that while the use of physical control in care in secure training centres is supposedly designed to not inflict pain or to rely on pain compliance for its effectiveness, there is the state sanctioned use of thumb, rib and nose distraction' techniques which involve inflicting deliberate pain to the child.

"These techniques have caused injury to children, and their use puts a child at risk of emotional trauma.

"In being restrained at Hassockfield STC, Adam Rickwood was subject to the nose' distraction technique.

"The log book from Hassockfield STC shows the high numbers of nose bleeds suffered as a result of nose distraction and the regular doses of analgesics issued after incidents of restraint.

"The use of violence and force to control and punish some of the most vulnerable children in society is unacceptable.

"We are concerned that restraint is being used as something other than a last resort, and is being used to punish children and ensure compliance."

Adam's mum Carol Pounder, of Greenock Close, Burnley, said the report's findings had reinforced her efforts to 'hold someone to account' over his death.

The family is pressing for a judicial review over Adam's death and has enlisted the help of London legal firm Bhatt Murphy.

She said: "What gives anybody the right to hurt children to keep them under control?

"Someone needs to be accountable for Adam's death and I will fight with every breath in my body to ensure that someone is."

Adam was the youngest person to die in custody in the UK and his death prompted a series of reviews into the care of vulnerable young adults in custody.