Drones carrying drugs and mobile phones are being used to smuggle contraband into Nottinghamshire prisons – according to Ministry of Justice figures.
Statistics show cases of drone activity were recorded at HMP Ranby, near Retford and HMP Whatton, east of Bingham.
At Ranby officers recorded two cases of drones being found near to the prison in 2015 carrying mobile phones.
The same year a crashed drone was also discovered at HMP Whatton, which was being used to try to smuggle drugs into the jail.
Across the whole national jail network, there were 33 drone incidents in 2015, compared with just two in 2014.
We take a zero tolerance approach
A Ministry of Justice Spokesman said: “Incidents involving drones are rare, but we remain constantly vigilant to all new threats to prison security.
“We have introduced new legislation to further strengthen our powers, making it illegal to land a drone in prison or to use a drone to drop in psychoactive substances.
“Anyone found using drones in an attempt to get contraband into prisons can be punished with a sentence of up to two years.
“We take a zero tolerance approach to illicit material in prisons and work closely with the police and Crown Prosecution Service to ensure those caught are prosecuted and face extra time behind bars.”
Existing rules on drones ban them from being flown near large gatherings of people, including concerts and football matches, and say they must be kept at least 50m away from people or buildings at all times.
