{"id":7452,"date":"2026-05-11T12:25:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T11:25:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prisonersadvice.org.uk\/wordpress\/?p=7452"},"modified":"2026-05-11T12:25:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T11:25:29","slug":"attempts-to-stop-prison-drone-drug-deliveries-hampered-by-crumbling-victorian-walls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prisonersadvice.org.uk\/wordpress\/2026\/05\/11\/attempts-to-stop-prison-drone-drug-deliveries-hampered-by-crumbling-victorian-walls\/","title":{"rendered":"ATTEMPTS TO STOP PRISON DRONE DRUG DELIVERIES HAMPERED BY CRUMBLING VICTORIAN WALLS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Guardian has reported that weak and crumbling walls in Victorian prisons are hampering attempts to halt drones from delivering drugs and weapons to those in custody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One example is that of HMP Pentonville, where some netting was successfully installed across the exercise yard several years ago, but where plans to install stronger mesh across other areas were stalled after engineers found that the walls could not hold it at the necessary tension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charlie Taylor, Chief inspector of Prisons for England and Wales, recently commented that the Prison Service had \u201cceded the airspace above many of our prisons to serious organised crime\u201d, resulting in a \u201cnational security threat\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The number of drone incidents in prisons has risen by more than 1000% over four years, with packages sometimes weighing more than 15kg and arriving direct to cell windows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tom Wheatley, President of the Prison Governors Association, said measures to stop drones were not being introduced quickly enough and faced structural problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPhysical measures such as netting, wires and grilles are the preferred option for preventing contraband getting into prisons. They make it almost impossible. In some prisons, there are concerns that such measures put extra weight on the walls and the weight can be too much for the buildings. Not only are the yellowy bricks soft, but the mortar between them is very old. It is very difficult to fix ropes and meshes as a result.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the time of writing, the government has promised to invest \u00a310m in anti-drone measures. A Prison Service spokesperson denied that some prison walls were too weak to support anti-drone measures such as nets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For further information, click here.<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Guardian has reported that weak and crumbling walls in Victorian prisons are hampering attempts to halt drones from delivering 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