Drones could be used to lift inmates over prison walls and help them escape, a prisons watchdog has warned.
Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said drones are also being used to make drug deliveries to Manchester and Long Lartin prisons, which have held terrorists and organised crime bosses.
In his annual report published today, Taylor said police and the prison service have "ceded the airspace" above the two high security prisons to "organised crime gangs" which are able to deliver contraband to prisons.
"What’s scary, and we haven’t reached this stage yet, but, if you look on Google, you’ll be able to see someone being lifted up by a drone," Taylor said.
Drones could be used to carry inmates out of prison, the chief watchdog has warned
PA"So you know this isn’t ultimately just a risk of what might come in.
"There is also a danger of what might go out of prisons as well.”
When asked by The Telegraph if he meant there was a risk of a prisoner escaping with the help of a drone, he said there is a "theoretical possibility of that risk".
In his report, Taylor said the "overwhelming" amount of illegal drugs was "destabilising" prisons across England and Wales.
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The report highlights poor conditions at prisons across the country
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales Annual Report
A survey carried out by the HM Inspectorate of Prisons found that 39 per cent of inmates find it easy to get hold of illicit drugs.
The report also stated that physical security, such as netting, windows and CCTV, was "inadequate" at some prisons.
It added: "At Manchester, inexperienced staff were being manipulated or simply ignored by prisoners.
"The failure to tackle these security issues seriously compromised safety and represented a threat to national security."
Taylor's report further identified overcrowding as an issue which, coupled with a lack of activity, caused "boredom and frustration" among prisoners, therefore heightening the demand for drugs.
Many inmates were found to spend the majority of their day in shared cells where broken furniture and windows and infestations of vermin were said to be "common".
At Wymott Prison near Lancashire and Brixton Prison in London, inspectors found no screening around the toilet and in some cases, cells were found to only have one chair despite housing two men.
The Government announced plans earlier this year to invest £4.9billion more into prison building in a bid to open 14,000 places by 2031.
Speaking upon the announcement of the plans in May, Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood said: "Our prisons are, once again, running out of space and it is vital that the implications are understood.
"If our prisons collapse, courts are forced to suspend trials, the police must halt their arrests. Crime goes unpunished, criminals run amok, and chaos reigns. We face the breakdown of law and order in this country.
"The prison population is now rising by 3,000 each yea,r and we are heading back towards zero capacity.
"It now falls to this Government to end this cycle of crisis. That starts by building prisons. This investment is necessary but not sufficient.
"We cannot build our way out of this crisis. Despite building as quickly as we can, demand for places will outstrip supply by 9,500 in early 2028."
Taylor's report added that violence had risen "considerably" in some jails with "little to encourage good behaviour".
A total of 20 per cent of adult men responding to a prisoner survey said they felt unsafe at the time of the inspection, with the figure increasing to 30 per cent in high security prisons.
Violence against staff was also found to be on the rise in some prisons, including at Wandsworth, where there had been a 50 per cent increase since its last inspection.
Prisons Minister Lord Timpson said the report shows "the scale of the crisis Labour inherited", adding the Government plans to build extra prison places, reform sentencing and invest £40million to bolster security.
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