Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleDrones can deliver up to 11kg of illegal substances into prisons (PA Wire)Britain's chief inspector of prisons, Charlie Taylor, has warned that drug dealers are operating with impunity in jails, as drug-related deaths reach a record high. New figures reveal 48 drug-related deaths in prisons in England and Wales in the year ending March 2025, a 2,300 per cent increase since 2010. The crisis is exacerbated by drones, which can deliver up to 11kg of lethal substances, including synthetic drugs, into prisons.Mr Taylor has urged the government to take urgent, cross-departmental action, including collaborating with the Ministry of Defence to combat drone smuggling.Grieving families are calling for greater protection for prisoners, saying they should not have to worry whether their loved ones will make it out of jail alive.In fullTrue scale of UK’s prison drug crisis revealed as deaths hit record highThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

Exclusive: Charlie Taylor demands ministers to get a ‘grip’ on the crisis as tactics for smuggling lethal substances into jails have escalated to drones that can deliver up to…

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or…