Gangs smuggle drugs through broken prison windows with use of drones, watchdog reveals

Peter Stevens
Tue, 14 Apr 2026 23:12:47 +0000

Criminal gangs are using drones to smuggle drugs through broken windows, a watchdog has revealed.

Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said large quantities of drugs were being brought into Manchester Prison, blaming the issue on insecure windows that have not been repaired for two years.

Repairs to the windows have been delayed due to what was described as an “absurdly bureaucratic planning process”, with prison bosses failing to resolve the issue at HMP Manchester, also known as Strangeways.

The drone drops have led to 38 per cent of inmates testing positive for drugs - one of the highest rates across the 120 prisons in England and Wales.

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The prison also has one of the highest levels of violence, with 30 per cent of inmates saying they feel unsafe.

The inspector noted: “The supply of illicit items, often linked to organised crime and county-lines networks, remained a serious threat to the prison’s stability.

“Drug use was very high and the rate of positive random mandatory drug tests was one of the highest in all prisons.”

Half of prisoners surveyed between January 12 and January 22, 2026 said it was easy to obtain drugs.

The inspector added the prison continues to suffer from “ongoing physical security weakness” and said it is “plagued” by drones.

Inspectors said progress had been slow on upgrading CCTV and installing secure windows and grilles.

The prison is intended to operate as a training facility, providing inmates with education, skills development and vocational training.

However, around 40 per cent of prisoners were unemployed and spending long periods locked in their cells.

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Mr Taylor said: “What we saw at Manchester was far too many prisoners sitting in their cells watching daytime TV and in many cases taking drugs.”

HMP Manchester was placed in special measures 18 months ago following an inspection led by Mr Taylor.

He warned drone-delivered drugs had “seized control” of the airspace above the prison.

Mr Taylor also revealed that filaments from kettles were being used to burn through windows, allowing drugs to be dropped into the prison.

Security experts had designed “impenetrable” grilles, but efforts to install them have stalled over planning concerns.

Experts have raised concerns about fitting the grilles onto the façade of the 158-year-old building.

In January, it emerged that Manchester City Council had still not granted planning permission for the grilles -more than two years after inspectors first flagged the drugs crisis.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “This is a prison operating under immense pressure after this government inherited a prison system at the peak of its crisis.

“We took immediate action to bring the system back from the point of collapse and while we welcome inspectors recognising the strong leadership now in place at HMP Manchester, we are taking urgent action to stop drones, upgrade security and tackle the flow of drugs which fuels violence behind bars.”