Racing pigeons have been brought in to give the young prisoners a constructive hobby - but these are no ordinary birds.

They were donated by Her Majesty the Queen after a prison officer wrote to ask for help.

Deputy governor Diane Mohans said: "Our officer, Paul Hemmings, has got a keen interest in pigeon racing. But we looked into it and it was going to cost too much money to buy them."

Faced with paying up to £100,000 per pigeon, Mr Hemmings wrote to the manager of the Royal loft at the Queen's Sandringham estate to ask whether any racing pigeons might be given to the young offenders.

Weeks later, a van was dispatched and the pigeons were collected to be brought to their new Yorkshire home.

The story was printed in a national newspaper on Sunday and prison staff said the phone had not stopped ringing since with more inquiries about the pigeons. Each of the birds has the royal insignia, ER, on a ring on its leg.

The young offenders are already learning the basics of keeping racing pigeons and staff hope it will be something which lasts beyond their stay at the York Road site.

Ms Mohans said: "Hopefully next year we're going to start racing them. Hopefully it will give them a hobby which they will continue when they leave. It's really positive."