A prison has become like an “airport” where drugs are smuggled in by drones through holes burned in cell windows, one inmate told inspectors.

A watchdog warned HMP Garth, in Lancashirewhich detains serious offenders, is “facing major security concerns” and a “failure in safety and security”.

Inspectors found prisoners were using parts of their kettles to punch holes in their “insufficiently protected” perspex windows to allow “drones laden with contraband to enter”, while “the smell of cannabis was prevalent “.

Some 63% of men in Category B prisons surveyed said it was easy to obtain drugs, with one saying: “It’s now an airport.”

Inspectors found that prisoners were damaging their windows faster than they could be repaired: 13 cells had holes, five of which were still occupied, on the first day of the visit.

They also said surveillance and searches, including accounting for mops and brooms used to collect drugs from drones, were “weak”.

Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor said: “Garth detains some very serious offenders. Although the Governor had a good understanding of the many challenges facing the prison, without better support from the regional team and the Prison Service it will continue to be a prison of real concern.

“It is imperative that the Prison Service finds a way to stem the intrusion of drones to reduce the supply of drugs to prisons like Garth, so that they can begin to reduce violence and get men out of their prisons. cells and devote them to a full day of work and training.

“Attendance and staff capabilities will need to improve significantly and without substantial investment from the Prison Service, drugs will continue to flow into this troubled prison.”

In January, restricted 400 meter flyover zones were introduced around all closed prisons and young offenders’ institutions in England and Wales, while more than 90 drone-related convictions have taken place since June 2016.

A 36-year-old man was arrested early on Monday after staff at HMP Liverpool spotted a drone attempting to land in the prison yard.

The package contained cannabis resin, tobacco, mobile phone notes, drill bits and SIM cards, Merseyside Police said.

At the time of the inspection of HMP Garth, the training prison held 816 prisoners, mostly serving long or indeterminate sentences.

The rate of assaults has soared by 45% since the last inspection, with many prisoners needing protection due to drug debts.

Inspectors found parts of the prison to be dilapidated and new arrivals said they were forced to pay other prisoners to collect missing furniture from their cells.

The report also highlights high levels of illness among staff, insufficient training and a reluctance to challenge inmates’ rule-breaking, as well as poor staff morale.

“A prison system in crisis”

It comes weeks after a damning report revealed Winchester’s Category B prison was so ‘dilapidated’ and the inmate was able to remove his own cell door.

The chief executive of social justice charity Nacro, Campbell Robb, said the problems highlighted by the latest report are “symptomatic of a wider crisis” in the prison system.

“HMP Garth is another example of how, without meaningful reform, we risk perpetuating a vicious cycle of violence and despair within our prisons, compromising both public safety and the potential for long-term rehabilitation” , he declared.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “The new government has inherited a prison system in crisis and reports like these demonstrate the need for firm action to regain control of the situation.

“We have zero tolerance for violence and drugs and our security measures, such as X-ray body scanners and anti-drone no-fly zones, detect and prevent drugs from entering our prisons.”