Shropshire prison battling against mobile phones

There were 109 incidents where a prisoner was caught at Stoke Heath with a phone, or parts of a phone, in the past year.

The problem is spiralling – the figure for 2015-16 represents a trebling of the figure for 2013-14.

It is also a rise on the figure for 2014-15, when 104 phones were confiscated.

Today's figures were released following a Freedom of Information request by the Shropshire Star to the Ministry of Justice.

They come after county robber James Delaney posted pictures of himself in his cell while in prison in Redditch.

Police revealed in January that mobile phones and contraband were being thrown over the prison walls at Stoke Heath, prompting extra patrols.

Stoke Heath inmate Girre Girre, 19, was last month sentenced to six months after a phone was discovered in his cell.

The Shropshire Star also recently revealed how robber James Delaney posted pictures of himself in his cell while in another prison in Redditch.

It is a criminal offence for an inmate to be in possession of a mobile phone and offenders could be handed a two-year jail term on top of their sentence.

The Prison Service said it was planning to work with mobile network operators to challenge them to do more, including developing new technological solutions, to block mobile phone signals in prisons.

Body scanners and high sensitivity metal detecting wands are used by prison officers as a way of detecting mobile phones and searches can also be carried out.

Legislation has been introduced to allow prisons to use signal-denying technology to suppress the use of wireless telegraphy, such as mobile phones, by prisoners.

And further legislation is expected to be introduced in due course to allow the Prison Service to apply for a court order to compel mobile network operators to disconnect illicit mobile phones being used in a prison.

The Ministry of Justice said the increasing number of finds is down to increased checks.