FIVE months ago the Lancashire Evening Telegraph revealed that paedophiles, arsonists and killers were housed in the Calderstones medium secure unit. The move followed concern about the type of patients housed in the Calderstones medium secure unit and fears over security at the site.

Following our stories we sent Calderstones chief executive Russ Pearce ten questions, which he has chosen to answer together with NHS Trust chairman Christine Kirk and the Unison branch secretary Peter Hawkins, who represents staff. Tonight we publish the reaction and the answers to those questions.

CALDERSTONES bosses today pledged to do all they could to reassure people about security at the medium secure unit.

Chief executive Russ Pearce spoke as the NHS Trust and union officials issued joint replies to 10 Lancashire Evening Telegraph questions about the institution, which some staff have claimed is a danger to the public.

And he revealed he had already spoken to people considering buying homes on the new 300 house development next to Calderstones, which has come under fire for staffing shortages, to give them more information about the medium secure unit.

Today Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said he was not satisfied with the answers, which reveal residents of the secure unit escaped three times in the last year.

Nigel Robinson, chief officer of patient watchdog body the Community Health Council, said they were satisfied staffing levels were improving but they were still keeping a close eye on the unit.

A member of staff working in the secure unit, who did not wish to be named, said he was also worried by security levels on the site, which he said were still threatened by staff shortages.

Alfred McAlpine Construction, which is building more than 300 homes on the former Calderstones-owned land next to the secure unit, said it had told customers to contact Calderstones' management if they were worried about the unit.

Mr Pearce said: "We will do our best to keep people reassured and we want to be as open and up-front about what we do as possible.

"We have already spoken to a few people who are interested in buying the new houses and if anyone's got any queries, we will talk to them."

He added: "We are frequently inspected by the Mental Health Act commissioners, who demand standards of security. If there were issues that they had concerns about they would raise them with us and we would deal with them.

"The recruitment problem is better than it was during the summer."

He said security arrangements were adequate for the patients, who had been assessed as needing medium secure accommodation, not high levels of security.

The answers to the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's questions, issued by Unison leader Peter Hawkins, Mr Pearce and NHS Trust chairman Christine Kirk, did not give their own opinions on the siting of the new housing estate next to the medium secure unit.

It said they would review their security arrangements but said it was impossible to guarantee the new residents' safety. It added: "Our clients have not been assessed as being an immediate and grave danger to the public.

"There is no history of any major incident involving members of the public. We will continue to maintain this record and we will take all practical steps to ensure the safety of everyone."

In August, Mr Evans spoke out and insisted local people had a right to know when it was revealed that some patients had committed crimes including child abuse, arson and kidnapping.

Today he said: "The security arrangements have been shown to be deficient three times. They say they have reviewed security after each incident and I will be looking for the number of break-outs to be reduced to zero."

He said he believed village residents had not been aware that increasing numbers of the unit's residents had been sent there by the courts or prisons until it was highlighted in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

Mr Evans said: "Calderstones has always been a fair distance away from Whalley but now houses are being brought to it, it's especially important that they keep an open dialogue with local people."

The unnamed member of staff, who has previously raised security concerns with the Evening Telegraph said: "They may think security arrangements are adequate when three people have absconded, but I don't."

"They have said that each time someone has absconded, they have been returned within two hours, but a lot can happen in two hours. Some of these people are in for paedophilia, rape and all sorts of offences.

"I am frightened about what might happen on that housing estate. It's a tragedy waiting to happen." Lancashire County Coun Joyce Holgate, of Whalley, refused to say if she was satisfied with security at Calderstones but said she had a good relationship with Mr Pearce and Mrs Kirk and had often been reassured by them of the unit's safety.

She said: "We must not be complacent but continue to monitor the situation, always seeking reassurance for the safety of the residents of Whalley."

Two show homes opened on the site earlier this month, but no-one has yet moved in to the development.

Alfred McAlpine managing director John Cosgrave said he couldn't comment on security levels at the unit or its patients, around 80 of whom have been sent there by the courts.

He said: "We feel it is the responsibility of Calderstones Trust to consider all aspects of the management of its facility and we have every confidence in their ability to do that."

He added that they had already had a high level of visitors to the show homes and most were local people who knew the area well.