The death of a drug addict at Bullingdon Prison could have been avoided had staff carried out proper checks and assessments, an inquest heard.

Oxfordshire Coroner's Court heard today that a series of breaches in Government regulations took place in the hours leading up to the death of Stephen Woods on August 28, 2004, at the prison near Bicester.

Mr Woods, 23, originally from The Grove, Abingdon, was found hanged from a light fitting in his cell. He had torn off part of a sheet to make a noose.

Giving evidence, his mother Sue Woods said: "I know it might seem ironic now, but I thought that being in prison, at least, he would be safe, that they could control his habit, but obviously I was wrong."

Nurse Liv Taylor said she interviewed Mr Woods when he arrived at the prison on August 13, awaiting sentencing for burglary, and filled out a Continual Medical Assessment form.

However, when questioned by barrister Adam Straw, acting for Mrs Woods, she said she had not assessed "the possible risk of suicide or self-harm" through a series of questions set out in a health care reception screening assessment.

Mr Straw asked: "You did not ask him any of the specific questions on the form? 'Have you deliberately harmed yourself? Have you had suicidal thoughts?'"

Ms Taylor replied: "No. If he had told me that he was having suicidal thoughts, I would have gone on to fill in a screening form."

Mr Woods was moved to a cell in the segregation unit after refusing to return to his cell on Friday, August 28.

Mr Straw said regulations state that an assessment to decide if it is safe to place a prisoner in a segregation cell must be carried out within two hours of their arrival.

He said no paperwork to show the assessment had been carried out was found.

Mr Straw added that prisoners in segregation should be observed every 30 minutes, but prison officer Paul Cowell said he was not aware of that order at the time and instead thought "periodic" checks were required.

He added: "At no time did he Mr Woods present a risk that he could harm himself. If I was especially concerned, I would have taken him down to health care myself."

Nurse Rosalyn Alichukwu said correct procedure was followed on the day of Mr Woods' death, when she assesed him before he saw the prison governor, Peter Walls, for a disciplinary hearing.

However, Mr Straw said rules were again breached because the assessment was not conducted by a doctor.

Ms Alichukwu said: "How can a doctor, a locum, assess his mental state when they have never met him before?

"It's impossible. Therefore I had to do it with the doctor next to me."

Mr Walls said that Mr Woods had been given 12 days in segregation for failing to return to his cell and for flooding his cell.

He was found hanged at about 4.40pm, an hour after seeing the governor.

The inquest continues.