A row has erupted over child offenders held on remand in Holloway women's prison in north London.

The chief inspector of prisons said it was "inexcusable and depressing" that few changes had been made since the jail's last review.

Anne Owers called for all girls to be relocated following fears that the prison is ill equipped to cope with young offenders.

Inspectors found that women prisoners - including those that were pregnant or had recently given birth - were unable to shower more than twice a week, while some areas suffered from cockroaches and feral pigeons.

Staff suggested that some units also suffered from lice and fleas.

During its inspection last July, Holloway housed 12 girls under 18 and 53 women aged between 18 and 21.

The prison has already suffered a number of controversies.

Last year, nine female warders were reprimanded over allegations of bullying and lesbian sexual harassment of colleagues.

More recently, one male member of staff resigned and another is being investigated over allegations that they had sex with inmates, and a third officer remains at Holloway while claims of "inappropriate behaviour" are investigated.

"In our view, girls should not be held in Holloway," said Owers.

"No assessments of vulnerability and risk were being carried out, the regime was wholly inadequate, staff lacked essential documentation and no training plan meetings were taking place."

The director general of the Prison Service and chairman of the Youth Justice Board have both been alerted to the situation, she said.

"This inspectorate has repeatedly drawn attention to the deficiencies in the care of girls in prison in general and the situation of young women in Holloway in particular.

"It is both inexcusable and depressing that these continue and that it takes an inspection to galvanise those responsible into action."

The YJB insisted that steps were being taken to move child prisoners from Holloway.

"The Youth Justice Board has been working closely with Holloway and the women's policy group on prisons to ensure any sentenced girl is moved on as quickly as possible," said a spokesman.

"A YJB monitor regularly visits the establishment and reports back. The YJB is exploring options to provide a specialist mother and baby unit outside Prison Service accommodation."

Martin Narey, director general of the Prison Service, criticised the report.

"The criticisms levelled by Anne Owers do not reflect the significant change in culture that the staff at Holloway have achieved," he said.

"It is quite wrong to suggest that the prison was only galvanised into action in improving the care of girls by this report. Holloway accepts juvenile prisoners because it has no choice - the YJB can offer no suitable places for them elsewhere.

"We are determined to keep these girls out of Holloway and previously put in place measures to move them elsewhere but have been forced to accept further numbers due to a lack of alternatives."

But penal reform charities backed Owers' recommendations.

"These are some of the most vulnerable and damaged girls in society yet they are being locked up in their cells for hours at a time, with little to do and limited access to basic facilities such as showers," said Lorraine Atkinson of the Howard League for Penal Reform.

"The Howard League is calling for girls to be taken out of Holloway prison immediately and wants the government to fulfil its promise to remove all girls under 18 from prison and place them in more suitable accommodation."

Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, highlighted the dramatic increase in the number of women prisoners.

"This report raises questions not only about whether Holloway can hold women in decent, safe conditions, but about why we still incarcerate severely mentally ill women, those in urgent need of drug treatment and vulnerable girls when they could, and should, be treated in secure health settings, drug treatment programmes and specialist local authority provision," she said.