Cramped conditions at an Oxfordshire prison could trigger unrest and suicides among inmates, MPs have warned.

A report by the House of Commons public accounts committee calls for contingency plans to build temporary prison space to deal with the growing problem of overcrowding.

The latest prison population figures show that Bullingdon Prison, in Bicester, is holding 962 inmates.

That is 203 more than the 759 it was built to hold and means the jail is 27 per cent over its "uncrowded" capacity.

The MPs' report examines the challenges of accommodating a record 77,000 prisoners in England and Wales.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh warned that overcrowding risked sparking rebellions among prisoners.

Mr Leigh said: "Overcrowding in prisons undermines many of the objectives of custody.

"It exacerbates tension between staff and prisoners, disrupts educational and training programmes, damages the delivery of welfare services to prisoners and, where overcrowding is at its most acute, may lead to higher suicide rates.

"It also provides a fertile environment for prisoner unrest."

The report, which was published yesterday, also calls for alternatives to imprisonment to be considered for prisoners on remand, those with mental health problems and children.