A PSYCHOLOGIST from York who delayed providing reports on inmates with severe personality disorders at a high-security jail has been severely reprimanded.

Lifers at Whitemoor Prison, Cambridgeshire, became "anxious" - with one refusing to leave his cell - when reports failed to show up from Ronald Tulloch, a conduct committee of the British Psychological Society was told.

The reports concerned a pilot assessment examining links between the dangers posed by prisoners and severe personality disorders.

The hearing was told that the lead clinician at the prison was Mr Tulloch, now of Care Principles, Market Weighton.

He resigned in September 2003 from his £80,000-a-year post, promising to provide outstanding reports in "three to four weeks" from a base at York University.

Instead he only provided two complete reports out of nine, with another unsigned.

Announcing a "severe reprimand" with conditions, panel chairman Phillip Partridge, said: " The committee takes very seriously its duty to protect both the public interest and professional standards and also takes a very serious view of the conduct of Mr Tulloch. He showed no insight into the seriousness of the position nor put forward any mitigation to the charges. We were seriously considering suspending him from practice but having considered the matter further decided would severely reprimand him."