Three girls in England held in male offender institution for months

MPs and charity criticise appalling' treatment of teenagers following closure of privately run centre

Three girls have been held in an all-boys prison for at least eight months owing to appalling" and systemic failures in the prison system, MPs and campaigners have said.

The girls, aged 15 to 18, were transferred to the UK's biggest prison for boys following the enforced closure of a privately run centre for safety reasons last year, the Guardian has learned.