A woman charged with assault following investigations into alleged abuse at a Rochester youth jail has appeared in court.

Rebecca Harold, 24, of Grecian Street, Maidstone, was charged following the probe at Medway Secure Training Centre.

Harold appeared at Medway Magistrates' Court this morning where she pleaded not guilty to assault by beating.

Nine other people who have been arrested in connection with the allegations remain on police bail until September 21.

Two further people who were arrested have been released without charge.

The probe was launched after the BBC’s Panorama programme sent an undercover reporter into the Rochester site between October and December last year.

The documentary, which was broadcast in January, showed staff appearing to use excessive force on some young inmates.

Since the allegations came to light, staff have been re-trained and the Ministry of Justice has taken over the running of the site from private security firm G4S.