
Overwhelming levels of drugs destabilising prisons, watchdog warns
A 'menu of drugs' is available in prisons where work to rehabilitate criminals is being prevented, as many inmates are in their cells for 22 hours a day 'high on drugs, watching daytime TV'.
Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor revealed that 'frightening' blades including a zombie knife were also suspected of being brought into prison by a drone, as he unveiled his annual report into prisons.
Mr Taylor previously warned that drones dropping drugs at high-security jails HMP Manchester and HMP Long Lartin was a 'threat to national security', and he repeated calls on Tuesday for the threat to be taken seriously 'at the highest levels of Government'.
He further told reporters that a theoretical possibility of the risk of a prisoner being carried out by a drone was 'concerning' as technology is moving fast.
The watchdog chief said: 'There is a level of risk that's posed by drones that I think is different from what we've seen in the past, and both with stuff coming in and ultimately the potential for something even more serious to happen.
'What I'd like to see is that the prison service really get a grip of this issue and and we'd like to see the Government, security services coming together, using technology, using intelligence, so that this risk doesn't materialise.'
The annual report highlighted concerns that criminal gangs are often using sophisticated drones to target jails and sell contraband to bored and vulnerable inmates.
Mr Taylor said that drones can smuggle in contraband more quickly and accurately than through corrupt prison staff or visits, as they can use location app what3words to deliver 'directly to an individual cell'.
The report detailed that 39% of respondents to prisoner surveys said it was easy to get drugs in prison, and inspectors regularly visited prisons where the recorded rate of positive random drug tests was more than 30%.
It said in many jails there were 'seemingly uncontrollable levels of criminality' that often inexperienced staff were unable to contain.
It also found it 'unsurprising' that national rates of violence increased last year, making the chance of rehabilitation unlikely.
Last month, the Independent Monitoring Board's annual report on prisons found violence remained 'excessively high', which was driven by overcrowding, inadequate mental health support and a surge in drug use.
Of weapons, Mr Taylor said: 'I have been in prisons where they showed inspectors some pretty frightening-looking knives that have got in, which they suspect have got in as a result of drones.'
The discovery of the zombie knife was after the period covered in the annual report.
The watchdog boss said in the report: 'This is a threat that needs to be taken seriously at the highest levels of Government.
'Only when drugs are kept out, and prisoners are involved in genuinely purposeful activity that will help them to get work and resettle successfully on release, can we expect to see prisons rehabilitate rather than just contain the men and women they hold.'
Mr Taylor's report also found overcrowding and lack of activity caused frustration among prisoners which fuelled the demand for drugs, with many spending most of the day in cramped shared cells with broken furniture and vermin.
Overcrowding also meant there were not enough places for every prisoner to take part in work or education while in custody, but even when there were spaces available inspectors found underused workshops because of staff shortages.
Purposeful activity was the worst performing assessment category by inspectors, with 28 out of 38 adult prisons visited deemed to be 'poor' or 'not sufficiently good' in this area.
The findings, reviewed from April 2024 to March 2025, come as ministers grapple with overcrowding and high-profile security incidents in jails.
The Government approved the use of protective body armour for prison staff in high security areas after four prison officers were allegedly attacked with hot oil and homemade weapons by Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi at HMP Frankland in April.
Ministers have also vowed to create 14,000 new prison places by 2031 and have accepted recommendations from the independent sentencing review to curb overcrowding in the long term.
Responding to the prison watchdog's annual report, Andrea Coomber KC, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: 'This report is a checklist for all the reasons the Government must prioritise reducing prison numbers, urgently.
'Sentencing reform is essential, and sensible steps to reduce the prison population would save lives, protect staff, and help more people to move on from crime.'
Pia Sinha, chief executive of the Prison Reform Trust, also said the report paints a sadly familiar picture of a prison system in deep crisis, which is not just a prison problem but a 'public safety issue'.
' Prisons should be places of rehabilitation, not warehouses of despair,' she said.
Responding to the report, prisons minister Lord James Timpson said ministers are improving prisons so they 'cut crime, not create better criminals'.
'This report shows the scale of the crisis we inherited and the unacceptable pressures faced by our hardworking staff – with prisons dangerously full, rife with drugs and violence,' he said.
'We're also investing £40 million to bolster security, alongside stepping up co-operation with police to combat drones and stop the contraband which fuels violence behind bars'.
Later, he told MPs that drugs are 'like a drain' on the system, and that the reasons why prisoners want to take drugs should be examined, as well as tackling supply.
Giving evidence to the Commons Justice Committee, he said the Government had a plan in place to bring down the number of positive drugs tests, but that this would need to be done at the same time as reducing prisoner numbers.
Current capacity stood at 98.2% full, he said.
Officials are also concerned about drones being used to deliver weapons to prisons.
Executive director for security for the Prison and Probation Service Richard Vince told the committee: 'We're particularly alert to and concerned about the prospect of firearms or explosives being delivered via drone.'
Various security measures including netting and other covert systems are being investigated, MPs were told.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
16 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
My father was bludgeoned to death in bed in a random attack as I slept blissfully unaware just feet away - now I'm hoping to finally track down his killer
A woman whose father was brutally bludgeoned to death while he slept just feet away from his family has revealed her agony as she's still without answers 35 years on. As a little girl, Emma Childerley was terrified by the fitted wardrobes in her bedroom. But, while most children fear monsters lurking inside cupboards, she visualised a killer. Emma was too afraid even to flush the toilet at night - in case she alerted a murderer. Aged five, she was asleep in the next bedroom when her parents, Kevin and Denise, were brutally bludgeoned in their beds with what's believed to be an axe or a cleaver. Kevin, aged 30, died at the scene in Nottinghamshire in February 1990. And though Denise, then 32, miraculously survived, she was horrifically hurt and left with life-changing injuries - so much so that Emma didn't recognise her. The killer has never been caught and Emma, 40, is now appealing for someone to come forward with the information necessary to deliver the justice her family needs. In April, police officers arrested a 62-year-old woman on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, who has since been bailed pending further investigations. Mother-of-three Emma, based in Blackburn, Lancashire said: 'I was a "daddy's girl", we were so close, and his murder tore our family apart. 'We were robbed of a lifetime of memories, and instead I had a childhood filled with pain and fear. I missed him so much. 'Because Dad's killer was never caught, I became terrified that the murderer was hiding in my built in bedroom wardrobes, or in the garage outside. 'Mum was so badly injured that I didn't even recognise her when she came out of hospital. 'Those months afterwards were hard, and though we've moved on with our lives, the pain never goes away. I think of my Dad every day. 'I'd ask anyone with information to please speak out. I need justice and closure, for Dad and for me.' The attacks took place on what seemed to be a regular evening. Emma's parents had been out to a nearby social club and the babysitter slept over in her room. Her baby brother, just five months old, was in a cot in his parents' bedroom. She recalled: 'I was woken in the night by a police officer waking me and telling me to get dressed, and not to switch on the light or open the bedroom door until he told me to. I did as he said, without questioning. 'I was taken to a neighbour's overnight. The next morning, I went to a police station for my fingerprints and hair samples to be taken, and later I was placed in a foster home. A social worker told me Mum had broken both her legs and Dad was looking after her so I couldn't go back home. 'I was only five years old, and I accepted that. But I hated being in the foster home, I was away from my family, and I missed them so much.' It was several weeks before a social worker informed Emma that her father was dead and her mother was in hospital. Neighbours had alerted police on the night of the attack. Speaking about her reaction to the blow, she recalled: 'I locked myself in the bathroom and sobbed. I couldn't take it in.' Emma was then told her mother was out of hospital and coming to take her home. 'I was over the moon at first but the woman who arrived had a shaved head, an eye patch and scarring all across her face,' Emma explained. 'I screamed - I didn't recognise my own mother, she was so badly hurt. It wasn't until she spoke that I realised who she was.' The family moved house to try to escape the memories and rarely spoke of their trauma. Emma added: 'Nobody even told me dad had been murdered. But at school, the other kids would say: "We found your dad's head on the banking" and I would run up the banking, thinking it was true. 'I didn't want to ask Mum any details because I didn't want to upset her. I refused to go to Dad's funeral because I was in denial. 'I found a newspaper photo of a woman on life support, and I remember saying how poorly she looked. I didn't realise then it was a picture of my own mother. I was too young to be able to read the article.' The family moved home again, hoping for a fresh start. But aged 11, Emma came across newspaper cuttings which explained her father had been brutally murdered in a savage attack, with the motive unknown. Two men had been arrested at the time but the case against them was discontinued. Emma said: 'I was horrified, and frightened that the killer was still out there. I started to worry the killer was hiding in the built-in wardrobes around my bed. 'I convinced myself he was in the garage at the bottom of our garden. I wouldn't even flush the loo at night in case I alerted the murderer. 'I'd slept through the attack on my parents, and I was worried I might sleep through my own murder too. I became very anxious and defensive. 'If someone stared at Mum's injuries, I'd get annoyed and confront them, even though I was only a child. I had so much pent-up anger and grief.' Emma said she and her father Kevin were best friends and used to watch Top Of The Pops together and sing Madonna songs. She said Kevin, a miner, worked hard for the family and they'd play tricks on Denise to make her laugh. 'We were just a normal, happy family,' she reflected. 'Dad took me to school on his motorbike each morning. We both wore helmets, but he'd keep his on as he walked through the playground, so all my friends thought he was an astronaut, which I loved.' In 2022, Emma contacted the police and pleaded with them to review the case. Kevin's murder has now been reopened - and she's now appealing for information. She now runs KC funeral services in Darwen, Lancashire, named in memory of her father. She reflected: 'I always regretted not going to dad's funeral and I decided I wanted to give dignity to people in death. I named my firm after him because this is his legacy. He lives on through me, and my three children, who I know he'd be so proud of. 'It breaks my heart that they never met him. He'd have been a wonderful grandfather. The pain from the murder carries on, through the generations. I'd like people to think about that and, if they have information, please speak to the police. 'There will be no punishment for having waited so long, we will just be so grateful for any help you can give.' In an important recent development, Nottinghamshire police officers arrested a 62-year-old woman in April on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. She was interviewed by detectives and has since been bailed pending further investigations. Detective Chief Inspector Ruby Burrow, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: 'This was a savage attack which took the life of a much-loved father and left his wife with lifelong injuries. 'Throughout our investigations we have been determined to get justice for both victims in this case, as well as for their two children and the grandchildren who never got to meet their grandad. 'Kevin was a much-loved family man described as a 'joker' with a great sense of humour by those who knew him. 'The attack tore apart the family and robbed Kevin's children of a lifetime of memories. 'The case has never been closed, and a dedicated team of detectives has been reinvestigating what happened that night using the latest investigative tools and technology. 'Following recent developments we have visited the neighbourhood to engage with a number of people we believe could help with our inquiries. 'It was a very positive exercise and I'd like to thank people for their cooperation. 'The arrest is also an important development and we have shared the news with Denise and other family members. 'We know the answer to Kevin's murder lies within the community and we also believe allegiances and loyalties will have changed after the passing of more than three decades. 'I'd continue to encourage anyone with any information, no matter how small, to please continue to get in touch with our officers or anonymously through Crimestoppers.'


Telegraph
18 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Starmer must shut asylum hotels sooner, says Labour Red Wall chief
Sir Keir Starmer must act to shut asylum hotels sooner, the chairman of Labour's Red Wall group of MPs has said. There are around 32,000 asylum seekers in hotels and Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, has pledged to axe their use by the end of the current Parliament in 2029. But Jo White, the Labour MP for Bassetlaw, said the caucus she leads of around 40 MPs in the party's traditional heartlands wanted the hotels closed 'a lot, lot quicker than that'. It comes in the wake of 16 arrests for violence last week at the Bell Hotel in Epping after the alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl by a 38-year-old migrant from Ethiopia. Ms White told The Telegraph: 'I've heard ministers saying they share the frustration on the number of small boats that continue to come across and I know they're listening because I constantly go on about it. 'There's a commitment to close down the hotels by the end of the parliamentary term. I think we all want it to be a lot, lot quicker than that.' She went on to urge Sir Keir to 'stop the incentives' that have seen a record 24,000 migrants cross the Channel so far this year, representing a rise of 50 per cent. Ms White welcomed plans by Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, to share the locations of asylum hotels with food delivery companies in a crackdown on illegal working. But she also urged Sir Keir and Ms Cooper to introduce identity cards to tackle the migrant crisis, an idea that has repeatedly been ruled out by Downing Street. Reflecting on anger among her own constituents in Nottinghamshire, Ms White added: 'There is a huge sense of unfairness because people work hard here in this country and commit to supporting the country and then there's the sense that what asylum hotels cost is a huge drag on what should be invested into our NHS, our schools and our infrastructure. 'So they have to close, we have to get those asylum hotels cleared out.' She went on to describe the scenes in Epping as 'really frightening and quite scary' and insisted that violent disorder was never the answer. 'Whilst you might be angry that these people are here, they are human beings, and violence against those people is not acceptable and cannot be tolerated,' she said. A second Labour MP suggested Ms Cooper's department had failed to grasp the scale of public frustration with the use of asylum hotels. A ring of steel was put up around a four-star hotel in London's Canary Wharf last week in an effort to deter protests ahead of the prospective arrival of Channel migrants. The MP said: 'Obviously we are closing hotels but if the Home Office can't understand why the public don't like migrants using four-star hotels in Canary Wharf, then there's a problem. 'I've been pushing for looking at former MoD sites for detention centres – and then you wouldn't need to use these flashy hotels.' The Telegraph revealed last week that plans to slash the number of asylum hotels could mean migrants being housed in empty homes and properties bought by councils. Anger over the scale of the current scheme comes after Sir Keir vowed to significantly reduce both legal and illegal migration. Nigel Farage's Reform UK currently has a comfortable lead in the polls having promised to introduce a 'one in, one out' immigration system and send small boats back to France. There is also a growing backlog of more than 40,000 failed asylum seekers who have appealed against their decisions, many of whom require housing. A government spokesman said: 'Since taking office, we have taken immediate action to fix the asylum system and have started closing down hotels and removing more than 35,000 people with no right to be here. 'While the public have a right to protest against the current situation, we will never tolerate unlawful or violent behaviour.'


The Guardian
18 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Hong Kong issues arrest warrants for 19 activists based overseas
Hong Kong's national security police have issued arrest warrants for 19 activists based overseas, accusing them of subversion under a stringent national security law, marking the largest such tally yet. They are accused of organising or participating in the Hong Kong Parliament, a pro-democracy group that authorities in the Asian financial hub say intended to subvert state power, under the law Beijing imposed in 2020 after months of pro-democracy protests in 2019. The activists are accused of having launched a referendum or run as candidates in the unofficial Hong Kong Parliament group, which authorities say aims to achieve self-determination and draft a Hong Kong constitution. Police said the organisation sought to overthrow the governments of China and Hong Kong by unlawful means, and that further arrests may follow. Among those named are the businessman Elmer Yuen, the commentator Victor Ho, and the activists Johnny Fok and Tony Choi. Four of them are subject to previous arrest warrants, each carrying a reward of 1m Hong Kong dollars (£95,000). Among the remaining 15, for each of whom police are offering a reward of 200,000 Hong Kong dollars, are those said to have organised or run in the election and been sworn in as its councillors. Feng Chongyi, a China studies professor at the University of Technology Sydney who was also listed, decried the bounty against him as 'ridiculous'. 'They've got the power, they've got the influence overseas, they want to control everything even overseas,' he told the Sydney Morning Herald. The UK's foreign and home secretaries condemned the move in a joint statement, calling the arrests 'another example of transnational repression' and saying it damages Hong Kong's international reputation. '[The UK] will not tolerate attempts by foreign governments to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics overseas,' they said in a statement on Friday. In response, the Chinese embassy in the UK said the British government's remarks 'constitute a gross interference' in China's internal affairs and the rule of law in Hong Kong. 'China urges the UK to abandon its colonial mentality, stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs … stop shielding criminals,' it said. Australia's foreign minister, Penny Wong, also strongly objected to the arrest warrants. 'Freedom of expression and assembly are essential to our democracy,' she said on X. 'We have consistently expressed our strong objections to China and Hong Kong on the broad and extraterritorial application of Hong Kong's national security legislation, and we will continue to do so.' The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the guarantee of a high degree of autonomy, including freedom of speech, under a 'one country, two systems' formula. Critics of the national security law say government are using it to stifle dissent. Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have repeatedly said the law was vital to restore stability after the city was rocked for months by sometimes violent anti-government and anti-China protests in 2019. Police reiterated that national security offences were serious crimes with extraterritorial reach and urged the wanted individuals to return to Hong Kong and surrender. 'If offenders voluntarily give up continuing to violate the crime, turn themselves in, truthfully confess their crimes, or provide key information that helps solve other cases, they may be eligible for reduced punishment,' they said in a statement. Police also said that aiding, abetting, or funding others to participate in the Hong Kong Parliament group could be a criminal offence.