The director of an immigration removal centre where allegations of brutality and racism were exposed by the BBC’s Panorama programme had previously been in charge of a children’s prison where abuse was rife.

A Guardian investigation last year revealed that Ben Saunders, the director of Brook House immigration removal centre (IRC), which featured in Monday night’s programme, and Tinsley House IRC, where children are detained, ran Medway secure training centre when children were maltreated.

Like the two IRCs, Medway STC in Kent was then run by G4S, before it gave up its children’s services after abuse and alleged corruption were exposed by the Guardian investigation and another Panorama undercover operation.

Saunders left Medway to manage Brook House and Tinsley House for G4S in 2012, but returned briefly to take over Medway after its failings were exposed by the Panorama and Guardian investigations last year...