Secret weapon revealed in fight against drug deliveries to UK's most troubled prisons

A precocious tech drone which operates remotely could beryllium utilized to support high-security prisons said to person mislaid power of their aerial abstraction successful the latest watchdog report

A drone dubbed the “flying defender dog” could cripple transgression gangs flooding prisons with weapons and drugs.

Two high-security jails were said to person mislaid power of the aerial abstraction supra them successful the latest watchdog report. Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor warned illicit drone drops present posed a “threat to nationalist security”.

Basic anti-drone measures specified arsenic netting and CCTV had fallen into disrepair, with cause deliveries rife. But the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has granted support to a UK steadfast to supply groundbreaking flights susceptible of “revolutionising” information successful British jails.

The remotely controlled flights usage a bid hub connected Tyneside. Their hi-tech £10,500 drones were described arsenic ‘flying defender dogs’ by the CAA. Hidden successful a box, they tin beryllium summoned into enactment 24 hours a time to patrol situation grounds and airspace.

Ruairi Hardman, of the steadfast Heliguy, says the support is simply a “gamechanger” for situation security. “Britain’s prisons are nether siege, but this has the imaginable to assistance marque it a just fight,” said Ruairi.

The steadfast has exclusive support to transportation retired beyond ocular enactment of show (BVLOS) flights. Typically, UK drone flights indispensable beryllium carried retired with the aviator capable to spot the trade astatine each times.

But the regulator’s determination means Heliguy tin transportation retired flights remotely for the archetypal clip ever. Ruairi added: “This is simply a large milestone arsenic it helps unlock the afloat tremendous powerfulness of drones for the information industry. Drones successful the incorrect hands are causing a problem.

"But successful the close hands they tin enactment arsenic a round-the-clock deterrent and an invaluable brace of eyes-in-the-sky. If there’s a sniff of suspicion that thing is amiss, the drone tin beryllium called into enactment wrong seconds and piloted remotely - adjacent hundreds of miles distant - freeing up infamously overstretched situation unit who are already successful abbreviated supply."

At HMP Long Lartin, inspectors recovered “large payloads of illicit items” being delivered which was fuelling unit and cause debts.

At Britain’s astir convulsive prison, HMP Manchester, erstwhile known arsenic Strangeways, prisoners were burning holes successful walls to get their hands connected payloads smuggled successful with drones. Sophie O’Sullivan, Director of Future of Flight astatine the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said that the determination connected remotely controlled drones “paves the way” to assistance amended mundane life.

“It not lone enhances the operational capabilities of drones, but besides promises wide societal benefits crossed antithetic sectors,” she said announcing the determination successful October. Our committedness is to support radical and alteration aerospace, and we volition proceed to enactment with manufacture to support precocious information standards arsenic commercialized drones go progressively commonplace.”

Many drugs participate prisons via drones, with Mr Taylor informing successful inspections of HMP Manchester and HMP Garth that situation bosses had 'ceded the airspace supra 2 high-security prisons to organised transgression gangs'. Around 39 percent of prisoners had tested affirmative successful mandatory cause tests astatine HMP Manchester, portion astatine HMP Long Lartin, successful Worcestershire, fractional of those who responded to the inspectorate's survey said it was casual to get drugs and alcohol.

Electronic forcefields that tin artifact drones are present being evaluated by Home Office experts. The technology works by detecting drones wrong a 50m radius of the outer walls and activates a 'sky fence' which blocks signals betwixt the drone and the operator.

At HMP Garth successful Lancashire much than a twelve cells had holes successful their windows, which had been burnt by inmates utilizing the constituent from their kettles. They past usage mops and brooms to haul successful illicit substances hanging down from drones hovering outside. HMP Manchester, formerly known arsenic Strangeways, is getting other unit and 'bolstered information measures', including netting to halt drugs being flown into the jailhouse by drone.