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Guns could be delivered by drones into jails already riven by drug-related gang wars amid an “inadequate” response from the prison service, a leading watchdog has told the Guardian.
Charlie Taylor, the HM chief inspector of prisons, said the surge in the use of large unmanned aerial vehicles was his “number one concern” and had increased the possibility that firearms would be used to settle turf wars or attempt to escape.
Official figures showed the number of drone incidents at prisons in England and Wales had risen tenfold since 2020 to 1,063 incursions last year.
In an interview, Taylor said his concerns had been heightened after inspectors found drones in constant use at HMP Manchester, which houses prisoners considered a risk to the public.
“The risk of drugs, plus other sorts of contraband, is huge. There is the destabilising effect of drugs in prison, so prisoners under the influence, but also debt, which equals violence, and the dominance of organised crime.
“At the moment, it’s mainly drugs and mobile phones. But there is the danger of other contraband getting into prisons. HMP Manchester was getting absolutely hammered by drones and they’ve got category A prisoners in there, so there’s a danger of something more,” he said.
Asked if he was specifically concerned about guns, he said: “Yes, it almost doesn’t bear thinking about.”
The more sophisticated drones, worth several thousand pounds, are about a metre wide, equipped with thermal imaging, and can carry up to 7kg of illicit goods under the cover of darkness.
Laws introduced in January made it a criminal offence to fly drones within 400 metres of any closed prison or young offender institution in England and Wales. Drone operators who break the rules could be fined up to £2,500, while those found smuggling illicit items will face up to 10 years in prison.
Some prisons have introduced counter-drone technology to detect when unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are nearby but few, if any, are thought to actively block the devices from approaching.
Experienced pilots are being hired by organised drug gangs to fly drugs into prisons, usually at night, Taylor said.
“Unfortunately, the current response from the Prison Service to this threat is inadequate,” he said.
Taylor said the decrepit condition of many prisons was being exploited by gangs and must be improved. “Prisons need better physical security in place – robust netting, secure windows, more perimeter patrols, technology and CCTV that’s fit for purpose.
“But, ultimately, it’s about reducing the demand for drugs and other illicit items in prisons – providing purposeful activity,” he said.
A recent report by Taylor’s inspectors into HMP Garth, near Leyland, Lancashire, said so many drones were flying to the prison at night to deliver contraband to cell windows that an inmate compared it to “an airport”.
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Drug gangs operate with such impunity at HMP Garth that new inmates are forced to sell drugs if they want basic furniture, Taylor said.
“Prisoners were going into their cells and they were empty. Another prisoner would turn up and say, ‘If you’d like some furniture in here, you’re gonna have to sell drugs for us for a bit, and then, once you’ve sold it, then you can buy a chair off me, or you can buy a kettle,’” he said.
Taylor said dangerous weapons may have already been snuck into prisons including HMP Manchester, formerly known as Strangeways.
“Our recent inspection of Manchester, where we issued an urgent notification, found the number of weapons and other illicit items getting in was among the highest of all prisons holding adult men. Given the prevalence of drone sightings, which we know are delivering illicit items, it is very likely that they are being used to deliver weapons,” he said.
Steve Gillan, the general secretary of the Prison Officers’ Association (POA), said he has warned authorities about a possible influx of weaponry through drones.
“Crime gangs have a lucrative trade in this and I have warned previously it may only be a matter of time before a drone drops a gun, incendiary device or other weapons into our prisons. That is not me being alarmist. The reality of drones needs to be treated seriously by the Ministry of Justice and government,” he said.
The MoJ was asked if the government was developing technology to stop drones and if there were plans to expand the use of counter-drone technology to detect them.
A government spokesperson said: “We have a zero-tolerance approach on contraband and are working with the police to deter, detect and disrupt the growing illegal use of drones around prisons.
“There are restricted fly zones for drones around all closed prisons and anyone found guilty of bringing contraband into a prison will be punished.”
