Police and jail chiefs have ‘ceded the airspace’ above two high-security prisons to ‘organised crime gangs’, report says – amid large numbers of illicit drone flights delivering drugs and weapons

Drones delivering medication and weapons into jails pose a ‘menace to nationwide safety’, the prisons watchdog warns immediately.

Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor mentioned police and jail chiefs have ‘ceded the airspace above two high-security prisons to organised crime gangs’ amid large numbers of illicit drone flights.

Other than consignments of unlawful medication and weapons, prisoners are receiving cell phones and even takeaway meals, Mr Taylor discovered.

He known as for pressing motion after inspections discovered excessive ranges of medicine in HMP Manchester and HMP Lengthy Lartin in Worcestershire.

Mr Taylor mentioned: ‘The security of employees, prisoners and finally that of the general public, is severely compromised by the failure to sort out what has develop into a menace to nationwide safety.

‘It’s extremely alarming that the police and Jail Service have, in impact, ceded the airspace above two high-security prisons to organised crime gangs, that are capable of ship contraband to jails holding extraordinarily harmful prisoners together with some who’ve been designated as high-risk Class A.

‘It’s chilling that weapons might be delivered on this means – particularly when a few of these wings maintain terrorists.’

The chief inspector’s report into Manchester, revealed immediately, mentioned: ‘The jail had a major problem with medication, weapons, cellular telephones, and even takeaway meals being delivered by drones to cell home windows. 

‘Organised legal teams led this exercise. Within the final 12 months there had been 220 drone sightings.’

A damaged cell window at HMP Manchester

Safety measures akin to protecting netting to cease drones had been allowed to fall into disrepair (file picture)

Inspectors discovered primary safety measures akin to protecting netting to cease drones and CCTV had been allowed to fall into disrepair. 

At Manchester, inmates had been burning holes in ‘safe’ home windows to proceed receiving common deliveries by drone.

In some instances, contraband packages had been rolled in grass cuttings and dropped into overgrown areas to be collected later, or disguised in bin baggage and dropped into areas suffering from garbage, Mr Taylor mentioned.

‘Simply doing the fundamentals appropriately in a jail, like chopping the grass and choosing up garbage, will truly make a distinction,’ he added. 

Practically 4 out of ten prisoners at Manchester who underwent obligatory drug checks examined constructive.

Situations on the jail had been additionally to be poor. Pictured: Blood-stained partitions at HMP Manchester

HMP Manchester additionally had a power rodent infestation. Pictured: A rodent in a segregation yard

HMP Lengthy Lartin (pictured), which holds a few of Britain’s most harmful offenders 

Mr Taylor first reported his issues concerning the jail, previously generally known as Strangeways, final autumn. 

In November ministers introduced the jail would get further employees and ‘bolstered safety measures’, together with anti-drone netting.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman mentioned: ‘This Authorities inherited prisons in disaster.

‘We’re investing in jail upkeep and safety, working with the police and others to sort out critical organised crime, and constructing extra jail locations to lock up harmful criminals.’