Smugglers tried to fly drugs, weapons and a mobile into a prison using a drone.
The plot, thought to be the first of its kind in Britain, failed when the remote-controlled aircraft crashed into netting around Bedford jail. A parcel attached to it contained the drugs, the phone, a knife blade and screwdrivers.
Prison governors around the country are now on alert for similar attempts.
A source said: “We believe this is the first case of a drone being used to try to get drugs inside a prison in the United Kingdom. This was successfully detected. However others may slip through.
“Using a drone is a lot easier than someone physically throwing a parcel over a wall or perimeter fence.”
The DJI Phantom 2 drone, available for less than £500, and the package have been handed to police.
A Bedfordshire Police spokesman said: “We were called to reports that a small drone had been discovered alongside a package in netting above a perimeter wall at HMP Bedford at 11.30pm on March 6.
“Both the device and the contents of the package are currently being examined, and investigations are on-going to identify the offender. We are working closely with the prison to investigate this incident.”
According to an inspection report, medium security Bedford jail, which holds 500 inmates, has a good system in place to keep out drugs.
In February 2014, former Bedford prisoner Lee Hocking, 28, from Watford, Hertfordshire, was jailed for four years after throwing a package containing cannabis, alcohol, tobacco and a mobile over the wall.
In June, a drone carrying drugs crashed into netting at Wheatfield prison in Dublin. The method has also been used in the US. Drone use is strictly regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Original article can be found here: http://www.mirror.co.uk
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